3 Somerville High Soccer Players Arrested in Connection With a Sexual Assault

– Allison Goldsberry

Three members of the Somerville High School junior varsity boys soccer team were arrested on charges that include aggravated rape and assault with intent to rape in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred at the school’s annual sports camp in Western Massachusetts.

According to Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless, the incident allegedly took place at Camp Otis in Lenox, which had been rented by Somerville for team-building activities for its fall sports teams. The three JV soccer players are accused of entering a cabin with freshmen students and assaulting three victims on Sunday, August 25.

According to Capeless, 17-year-old Galileo Mondol and two 16-year-old juvenile males were arrested Friday. Mondol is charged with one count of aggravated rape of a child under sixteen, two counts of assault with intent to rape a child under sixteen, one count of indecent assault and battery on a person who has attained fourteen years of age, three counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and three counts of intimidation of a witness or other person. He will be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court in Pittsfield.

The two juvenile males will be were arraigned in Berkshire Juvenile Court in Pittsfield on similar charges.

“We are disturbed and appalled that these crimes may have taken place and our thoughts and concerns are with the victims and their families,” said a joint statement from Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi.

The statement called the incident “single and isolated” and those who were arrested and those who were identified as victims appear to be the only students involved.

According to the statement, support services are in place and “an educational and support forum for the school and community members will be announced in the near future.”

“We thank District Attorney David Capeless, his Office and the Massachusetts State Police for their speed and diligence in undertaking an investigation of these grave allegations, and working cooperatively with the Somerville Police Department and our school officials at every step of this investigation,” said Mayor Curtatone, Superintendent Pierantozzi and Somerville High School Headmaster John J. Oteri in a joint statement. “We will continue to provide any resources and information the District Attorney’s Office requires as this investigation continues. Right now we are focused on continuing to provide the support services to students, parents and our community needed for Somerville to come together and heal.”

The Somerville boys soccer team is coached by Medford resident and School Committee George Scarpelli, a former Medford High coach. The JV coach is Ryan Guilmartin, according to the school’s website. It is unclear if they were at the camp. Mayor Curtatone, a volunteer football coach, told NECN he was at Camp Otis this past weekend.

Curtatone and Pierrantozzi praised the soccer team for assisting with the investigation and providing support.

“We would like to thank the members of the soccer team for their compassionate support of the victims and their courage in coming forward to assist authorities with the investigation.”