Man Pleads Guilty To Child Abuse Which Took Place At Arlington Club

WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that a former employee of the Arlington Boys and Girls Club pled guilty today to charges in connection with multiple incidents of child abuse that took place in the late 1970s to 1980.

Paul Collins, 64, of Centereach, New York, pled guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to charges of rape of a child by force, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age (3 counts), and open and gross lewdness.

Judge Douglas Wilkins sentenced Collins to 8 to 10 years in state prison with an additional 10 years of probation to be served after Collins’s release from prison. Terms and conditions of probation will include that Collins stay off the property of the Arlington Boys and Girls Club, stay away from and have no direct or indirect contact with the four victims in this case or with their families, refrain from any employment or volunteer work involving any contact with children under 16 years of age, cooperate with and complete a sex offender evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment, and submit to GPS monitoring.

“This case is a reminder of the faith we put in adults and how much of an impact a violation of that trust has on children’s lives,” said District Attorney Ryan. “These victims have lived with the abuse for decades and the serious punishment imposed today is appropriate. Adults involved in youth sports and child care generally are there for the right reasons, but it is always devastating to discover situations like this in which children were harmed.”

"This was a horrific, conscience-shocking case that involved abject betrayal by someone entrusted with the care and safety of children," Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan said. "I am grateful to our Arlington Police Detectives and to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan's Office for their diligent work to ensure that justice was done."

In January 2013, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, working with the Arlington Police Department and the management of the Arlington Boys and Girls Club, launched an investigation into allegations that Collins, while working at the Club for several years until 1980, had sexually abused several children. In 2013, Collins had already left the Club’s employment and was living in New York.

The allegations investigated involved reports that Collins abused young people he met through their membership at the Club. Collins had worked as the Aquatic Director and was responsible for overseeing the operation of the pool area, supervising lifeguards, monitoring “free swim” time for members, and serving as the swim team coach. Following the investigation, Collins was arrested May 17, 2013 without incident at his home in Centereach, New York by the United States Marshal's New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Arlington Police Department, with the assistance of the Suffolk County New York Police Department.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office would like to express appreciation to the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and acknowledge the full cooperation of the Arlington Boys & Girls Club throughout the investigation and prosecution of this case.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. The Victim Witness Advocate is Susie Marshall. The Child Interview Specialists assigned to the investigation are Margaret Leavitt and Alicia Compitello.