A man who apparently coached various Celtics players and some NBA All-Stars appeared in court Monday on a fugitive from justice charge.
Robert McClanaghan, 43, of Warwick, Rhode Island, was arrested in East Greenwich on Friday. He was wanted on a Boston City Court warrant on charges of rape and sex drug use.
He faced a judge Monday in Kent County, Rhode Island, on the additional charge of fugitive from justice, where he waived extradition and was held without bond. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said it expected him to be flown from Rhode Island to Massachusetts Monday evening for arraignment Tuesday morning.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office noted that this was the first case in which he filed charges of drug-related rape.
At Warwick, Robert McClanaghan was previously employed at Bishop Hendricken High School from 2002 to 2005. During this time he was a physical education teacher and assistant basketball coach.
Court documents indicate that McClanaghan’s attorney is Dan Griffin. He had no comment when reached by NBC10 Boston on Monday.
The alleged rape happened in downtown Boston on Thursday, November 17, according to court documents. Police have released no further information about the incident.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide resources for sexual assault survivors.
According to the Boston Police Department, Robert McClanaghan, 43, of Warwick, RI, was arrested Friday in East Greenwich, RI, by members of the department’s Sexual Assault Unit. McClanaghan was wanted on a Boston City Court warrant for rape and sex drug charges.
The district attorney’s office said Saturday that McClanaghan’s arrest was the result of “superb work by the BPD’s Sexual Assault Unit and members of our Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, working with the information provided by the victim”.
The Celtics declined to comment Monday except to say McClanaghan was not employed by their organization.
“It is devastating and my heart goes out to the victim of this heinous crime,” Boston City Councilwoman Gabriela Coletta said. “It’s indescribable, and I’m glad to hear there is some justice, but you never know and there will never be enough justice to best serve this victim.”
Coletta called for a city council hearing on fortified drinks last month after an increase in reports of incidents at Boston bars and restaurants. She said it helped the city identify opportunities it could explore to foster safe environments across the city.
She said the Boston Police Department has identified the need for better reporting mechanisms that can allow them to track trends and better identify where and when incidents are occurring. She said the licensing board has also indicated that it wants to reward restaurants and venues that show up.
“The licensing board has also indicated that it wants to reward restaurants and venues that come forward to report an incident,” Coletta said. “Many restaurant owners told the hearing that they feared being cited for overserving, for example, despite going above and beyond to help.”
During the hearing, Kathleen Joyce, chairwoman of the Boston Licensing Board, said the board held eight hearings into drug allegations, and none resulted in a violation because they didn’t was able to prove that someone’s drink was drugged by someone or that the licensed premises were responsible.
“Short of videos of someone placing a substance in a drink, that drink being tested, and that person going to the hospital and being tested, we wouldn’t be able to find responsibility on the part of an approved establishment. “, said Joyce during the hearing.
Coletta added that McClanaghan’s arrest sends a message.
“I think it will have a deterrent effect on the perpetrators as it should, they should be put on notice given this arrest,” she said.
Cnn
