Editor's note: The allegations of sexual assault in this story may be disturbing to some readers.
A grand jury has indicted a Cape Cod man with a litany of charges for allegedly raping seven women in seven months last year.
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Barry Viprino, of Harwich, was previously charged in district court in November over rape allegations involving three women. More alleged victims came forward afterward, leading to the Cape & Islands jury's indictment, handed down Friday, including 20 counts of rape (one of them aggravated), one count of kidnapping and one count of possessing a large-capacity firearm, District Attorney Robert Galibois' office said.
Viprino is accused of taking part in the abuse between May and November, prosecutors said. The 43-year-old will face the charges in Barnstable Superior Court on March 12.
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It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the charges.
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.
Harwich police began investigating the first alleged victim's claims of sexual assault in August, which led detectives to two more people, prosecutors said. That initial investigation led prosecutors to bring 11 counts of rape, among other charges, in Orleans District Court on Nov. 9, and Viprino was held on $200,000 bail.
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At the time, prosecutors said Viprino locked the door to a "detached garage/office space" at his home, lifted his shirt to show what appeared to be a gun and told the victim to take her clothes off. Prosecutors say she complied out of fear.
That same month, prosecutors said, Viprino sexually assaulted a second victim in the garage/office, repeatedly threatening and coercing her over the next several weeks. He was accused of forcing her to sell vape pods to her underage friends.
According to the district attorney's office, Viprino would "punish her with sexual assaults if she did not sell enough pods or if she otherwise got into trouble or fights."
Prosecutors said Viprino met the third victim while she was at the second victim's home. He is accused of bringing her back to his garage/office, locking her in and sexually assaulting her. He allegedly told her "that this would happen at least 3 times a week and if she did not follow the rules, she would be in trouble."
He sexually assaulted the third victim at least two more times, at the second victim's house and at his own garage/office, prosecutors allege.
