March 28, 2007
Former officer facing child sex abuse charges
By Gary V.
Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— A former Leominster police officer is scheduled to be
arraigned in Worcester Superior Court next week on child sexual
assault charges.
William R. Coulter Sr., 51, of 18 Manchester St., Leominster, was
indicted March 16 by a Worcester grand jury on two counts each of
unnatural rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a
child and single counts of a morals offense, indecent behavior and
dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, crimes he allegedly
committed from March 23, 2005, to Dec. 6, 2006, in Leominster.
An 11-year-old girl told state police she was sexually assaulted by
Mr. Coulter on several occasions, according to records in Central
District Court, where the former police officer was arraigned Dec.
19 on related charges. Mr. Coulter, who left the Leominster police
force in 2004, posted $10,000 cash bail when his case was pending in
District Court.
The grand jury action will move the case to Worcester Superior
Court, where Mr. Coulter is scheduled to be arraigned April 5.
Assistant District Attorney Joseph J. Reilly III has been assigned
to prosecute the case.
Man willingly left Leominster police in 2004
By
Scott J. Croteau and Mary Jo Hill TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
The 11-year-old told state police that on several occasions, Mr.
Coulter made her touch his genitals and perform sex acts on him, according to
reports on file in Central District Court.
State police said Mr. Coulter admitted molesting the girl to several people who
were interviewed by investigators.
When state police troopers arrived at Mr. Coulter’s home Monday to speak with
him, he declined to talk on the advice of his lawyer, the state police report
said. He was arrested and brought to the state police barracks in Leominster.
Mr. Coulter was charged in Central District Court yesterday with two counts of
statutory rape of a child and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a
child under the age of 14 . His case was continued to Jan. 17.
About 15 minutes after he was arraigned, Mr. Coulter posted the $10,000 bail set
in the case. Judge Austin T. Philbin ordered Mr. Coulter to have no contact with
the victim.
Now working for Centech Group Inc., Mr. Coulter left the Leominster Police
Department in 2004, according to Leominster Police Sgt. Michael D. Goldman.
“He was not discharged. He left of his own volition,” Sgt. Goldman said.
Sgt. Goldman, who works on sexual assault cases, said that he received a
referral from District Attorney John J. Conte’s office about the matter and
recognized Mr. Coulter’s name as that of a former Leominster officer.
Police Chief Peter F. Roddy authorized Sgt. Goldman to request that
Massachusetts State Police conduct the investigation, the sergeant said.
Mr. Coulter was one of four officers disciplined in 1993 in connection with a
chase on July 18, 1993, that resulted in a five-car accident on Interstate 290
in Worcester.
Mr. Coulter and two other officers agreed to work 40 hours of extra duty without
pay for failing to follow department procedure during the chase; the fourth
officer chose to take a suspension and appealed his case at the time.
The four officers failed to follow department procedure by not obtaining
permission to join the chase or leave the city and by following too close to the
suspect’s vehicle