Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, running for district attorney in Suffolk County, says he only learned recently that he was twice investigated over sexual assault allegations.
Citing police and school records, the Boston Globe reported Tuesday that in 2005, a high school student told police Arroyo, then her classmate, had sexually assaulted her. A second teen told police in 2007 that she believed Arroyo had sexually assaulted her, as well.
Arroyo spoke out Wednesday, denying the allegations, which he says he didn't know about until last week.
"Just to be clear, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my life," he said at a press conference. "I've learned that the 17-year-old complaint from 2005 was determined at the time by law enforcement to be unfounded. The case was closed with no charges pursued."
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Arroyo says he was not aware he was ever the subject of any police investigations.
The Boston Police Department confirmed to NBC10 Boston Wednesday that it had investigated the two complaints, forwarding the cases to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office that Arroyo hopes to lead.
The Globe reports that the first accuser, who was 17 at the time, told police in 2005 that a then-18-year-old Arroyo repeatedly pressured her to perform oral sex during a four-to-six-month period.
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In the 2007 case, a 16-year-old girl told police she had been drinking at a house party, then ended up barefoot in front of her home without remembering how she got there. The Globe reported she was not positive she was raped, and that the police report shows she went to the hospital for treatment but left without being evaluated.
At Arroyo's press conference, a lawyer claiming to represent the 2007 accuser read a letter from her out loud.
"I can say this with absolute authority because I am the person who made that complaint, Richardo Arroyo has never assaulted me," the letter read, according to attorney Brigite Melo-Cronin.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who has publicly endorsed Arroyo, spoke about the allegations Wednesday outside Boston City Hall.
"We're waiting to see what more details might evolve in this situation," she said. "It is, of course, troubling to learn of this type of allegation, no matter how many years ago."
Boston City Council President Ed Flynn announced on social media that he was rescinding his endorsement of Arroyo.
Arroyo maintains his innocence and says he will not resign from the city council or end his district attorney campaign.
"These aren't standing allegations, they have been vetted and they have been investigated, and so I would ask people to look at that," Arroyo said at his press conference.
The Globe also noted that police records show communication between a detective and Arroyo and his attorney in connection with the 2005 case.
The paper reported that Arroyo said in his application for a law license in 2014 that he had never been investigated for a crime, pointing out that he could face serious professional repercussions if he was, in fact, aware of the allegations against him.
Arroyo is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent District Attorney Kevin Hayden, whose campaign also found controversy this month after a Boston Globe investigation.
The investigation into a 2021 incident in which MBTA Transit Police officer Jacob Green is accused of pulling a gun on a driver in a traffic dispute began under former District Attorney Rachael Rollins.
The Globe reported that the investigation stalled after Hayden was named as her successor, leading to criticism of his handling of the case.
Arroyo called for Hayden to resign, while the district attorney's office called the criticism "political theatrics calculated to benefit DA Hayden's opponent."
Days after the Globe report, Hayden's office announced a grand jury investigation into the case.
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.
