Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 15-20 Years in Prison

– Allison Goldsberry

A serial rapist arrested in connection with a string of sexual assaults and rapes in Medford and Somerville a year ago has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to fifteen to twenty years in state prison.

Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone said Nicolas Chacon, 20, pleaded guilty late yesterday to two counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault with intent to rape, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and four counts of indecent assault and battery.

“Nicolas Chacon preyed on unsuspecting women in the neighborhoods of Somerville and Medford , putting those entire communities in fear. The victims bravely came forward to explain what happened to them and, because of their courage, this dangerous predator has been taken off the streets for a significant period of time. I want to thank the Somerville, Medford, and Tufts police departments for their excellent investigative work in this case,” said District Attorney Leone in a statement.

Chacon was sentenced to the time in prison as well as forty years probation by Woburn Superior Court Judge Raymond Brassard after a sentencing hearing that included impact statements from two of the victims.

Chacon committed a series of sex offenses against five different women between April 12, 2007 and April 26, 2007. Two of the incidents took place in Medford and three in Somerville, all near Tufts University. At least one of the victims was a Tufts student. All of the incidents took place late at night except for an April 26 incident on Boston Avenue in Medford when Chacon assaulted a woman waiting for a bus at 5:45AM.

District Attorney Leone thanked the public as well as the victims for coming forward and helping police apprehend Chacon.

“We can not underestimate the importance of the public’s help in identifying and ultimately apprehending the defendant in this case,” District Attorney Leone said.

Chacon was taken into custody by Medford police after they identified him and interviewed him. DNA and other evidence linked him to the crimes.

The case was jointly investigated by Medford Police, Somerville Police, Tufts University Police, Concord Police, State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant District Attorney Adrienne Lynch.