Local man convicted on child rape charges
Published on November 22nd, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - A Stoneham man was convicted last week in connection with the rape of a child at his Park Terrace Drive home that took place in 2002, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
Ronald Ostrovsky, age 56, of 300 Park Terrace Drive Unit 354, Stoneham was convicted in connection with the rape of a child. Ostrovsky, who was also later arrested for violating bail while loitering at Stoneham High School and also for not reporting as a Level Three Sex Offender while working at a car dealership in Burlington, was found guilty of statutory rape of a child - subsequent offense (5 counts), indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 (2 counts), posing a child in a state of nudity, distributing obscene matter to a minor, and possession of a class D substance. Ostrovsky will be sentenced on November 29, 2006 in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge.
"It's nice to see the investigation and the work put in by the Detective unit finally leading to a conviction," said Stoneham Police Lt. Rick McCarthy.
According to authorities, on diverse dates between 2001 and October 2002, the defendant sexually assaulted the then 8-year-old male victim. The assaults occurred at the defendants Stoneham apartment. The victim and the defendant were known to each other at the time of incidents.
In January, 2003, the victim reported the incidents to authorities. Stoneham Police contacted the Middlesex District Attorney's Child Abuse Unit, and together they commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case.
On July 31, 2003, a Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments against Ostrovsky. On September 5, 2003, he was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. At arraignment he pled not guilty, and was released on personal recognizance with the conditions that he have no contact with the victim or anyone under the age of 16.
Ostrovsky's trial began on Thursday, November 9, 2006, and continued for three days. The jury deliberated for approximately 3 hours before delivering their verdicts shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Monday, November 13, 2006.
Following his conviction, Judge Paul Chernoff revoked Ostrovsky's bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2006, in courtroom 6B of the Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Marian Ryan.
The convicted rapist, who spent at least four years in state prison during the 1990's for rape and indecent assault and battery of a child under 14, was also indicted by a grand jury July 2004 in Middlesex Superior Court on multiple charges including: five counts of rape of a child, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, dissemination of child pornography, and illegal possession of a class D substance.
According to Stoneham Police officials, they began first receiving information about the alleged child rapes last January. After executing a Woburn District Court search warrant on April 14 at the 56-year-old's Park Terrace Drive address, Stoneham Police reportedly found evidence corroborating the victim's allegations.
"The victim described several pornographic items in pretty clear detail that we later found in the apartment," said Police Lt. Rick McCarthy.
"Depending on the age of the child, supervise the child in a manner where they are aware of adults they come into contact with," said Sex Offender Registry Board spokesperson Charlie McDonald at the time of Ostrovsky's arrest. "You should supervise children near parks and playgrounds, and be aware that these places can be attractive to sex offenders."
"The key thing is to just be aware that there are people who commit these crimes and are at a higher risk to reoffend," added McDonald. "They've been here before, they'll be here again, but now we have a right to know about these people."
Sex Offender Registry information shall not be used to commit a crime or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassment of an offender. Any person who uses information disclosed pursuant to M.G.L. C.6 SS 178C-178P for such purposes shall be punished by not more than two and one half (2 1/2) years in a house of correction or by a fine of not more than one thousand ($1000) or both (M.G.L. c.6 SS 178N). In addition, any person who uses registry information to threaten to commit a crime may be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months (M.G.L. C. 275 SS 4).
For more information on the Sex Offender Registry and how to obtain information on Sex Offenders living and working in Stoneham, visit the state's Web site at http://www.state.ma.us/sorb/.
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