Years Later, Man Charged in Series of Violent Sexual Assaults in Charlestown

A man has been charged in a series of sexual assaults and kidnappings in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood that date back to 2007, according to police and the FBI.

Matthew Nilo, 35, who once lived in the North End, was arrested at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey, Tuesday, more than 15 years after he allegedly terrorized four victims in the Terminal Street area. According to Joseph Bonavolonta, FBI Boston's special agent in charge, investigators used investigative forensic genealogy to find Nilo. His DNA has been tied to cases from Aug. 18, 2007, Nov. 22, 2007, Aug. 5, 2008, and Dec. 23, 2008, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said.

Nilo, who investigators said is an attorney, is facing charges including three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape, and one count of indecent assault and battery.

Boston police did not lay out the specifics of the cases, but said the investigation was able to move forward in part because of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, grant, which offered funding to help process sexual assault collection kits. Last October, the Boston Police Department Sexual Assault Unit reached out to the FBI to assist with their investigation

Bonavolonta pointed to the bravery of the victims, who came forward and subjected themselves to an invasive investigative process, to help find their attacker.

“We certainly realize that identifying this individual does not ease their pain – nothing can, but hopefully it answers some questions," he said.

Investigative forensic genealogy is an advancing technology that combines traditional DNA analysis with publicly available genealogy research and historical records to identify potential leads and suspects in a case, Bonavolonta said. It's a technique that was not available at the time of the crimes.

Nilo was arrested without incident in New Jersey by members of the Boston Police Department, FBI Boston and FBI Newark, and the Hudson County Sheriff's Office. He will be returned to Massachusetts at a later date to face the charges against him.

The investigation into Nilo is ongoing, and investigators noted he has lived in other areas including Wisconsin, California and New York. Anyone who thinks they could have been a victim, or who has information on any of the cases, is asked to contact Boston Police or the FBI.

Police declined to comment on whether they believed Nilo was tied to other crimes in the city.

"Matthew Nilo was an employee of Cowbell and was hired in January, 2023 after passing our background check," the company where he worked said Tuesday in a statement to NBC10 Boston. "Mr. Nilo's employment at Cowbell has been suspended pending further investigation."

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