A man has been arrested on suspicion of raping child at a hotel that serves as a migrant shelter in Rockland, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, authorities said.
Cory B. Alvarez is accused of the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl at the Comfort Inn on Hingham Street, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said Thursday. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, aggravated rape of a child, and was held by a Hingham District Court judge without bail pending a dangerous hearing, scheduled for on March 22.
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"The Comfort Inn is currently part of a state/federal program to house migrant families," prosecutors said in a statement, noting that Alvarez was staying at the hotel.
It wasn't immediately clear if Alvarez or the alleged victim were staying at the hotel as part of the migrant housing program, or if Alvarez had an attorney who could speak to the charge.
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Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
Rockland police were called to the hotel about 7:06 p.m. Wednesday night, and officers found the alleged victim, who was taken to South Shore Hospital to be treated, prosecutors said. Alvarez was later taken into custody.
Alvarez was ordered to surrender his passport and have no contact with the teenager he's accused of assaulting.
The teenager told investigators that she went back to Alvarez' room because he was helping her put apps on her tablet, according to court paperwork. That's when she was assaulted, she said.
She told the man "to leave me alone, but he didn't stop," the paperwork said.
Massachusetts has been working to house an influx of migrants that's strained the state's shelter system. Last week, the state's House approved a bill that, if also approved by the Senate and Gov. Maura Healey, would send $245 million more to the system while capping family stays to nine consecutive months.
The system is currently at capacity with 7,500 families, which is the Healey implemented last year with roughly 800 more on a waiting list.
