Middleborough

Mass. School Employee Wanted for Raping Disabled Student, Police Say

A school employee who raped and sexually assaulted a student with mental disabilities in Massachusetts is wanted for arrest, Middleborough police said Thursday.

Phillip Houtman, 28, of New Bedford, is accused of raping a 19-year-old student after police received a report last week of the student being assaulted.

Houtman is an overnight staff member at Chamberlain International School, a private boarding and day school that serves students between the ages of 11 and 22 with cognitive and developmental disorders and disabilites, police said.

Houtman has been at the school for less than a year, school administrators told police.

He was removed from the schedule when the allegation surfaced, school officials said. The school is now examining and changing its policies, which will likely include additional training for staff and instruction for students.

Houtman is wanted for rape, assault to rape, open and gross lewdness, and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability, police said.

Anyone who knows where Houtman is is asked to contact police at 508-947-1212.

Contact Us