The Patriot Ledger reports that the Boy Scouts leader and religious education teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child told investigators he is sorry if he did anything inappropriate, quoting a police report. Michael Cimmino, 54, of 400 Commercial St., Braintree, has pleaded innocent to assault with intent to rape a child, kidnapping and eight counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14.
At a bail-review hearing in Norfolk Superior Court last week, Judge Janet Sanders reduced Cimmino’s bail from $50,000 in cash to $15,000 in cash and lifted a bail restriction imposed at his Quincy District Court arraignment that he have no contact with his own three children.
During the hearing, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy said the allegations stem from “inappropriate touching” of the victim. “No intercourse is alleged,” she said.
Authorities say the assaults took place while the male victim was at Cimmino’s house for a New Year’s sleepover.
Murphy said Cimmino told investigators that “he was drinking throughout the night.”
Reading from a police report on the incident, Sanders said Cimmino allegedly rubbed the head and the shoulders of the victim. Cimmino told police officers he “does that to his own kids,” Sanders read. “If he did touch someone inappropriately, he was sorry.”
In arguing for bail reduction and removing the restriction against contact with his children, Cimmino’s attorney said he has “significant ties to the community and no record” of criminal offenses. He has lived in Braintree for 21 years.
Cimmino has worked for the Boston Housing Authority for the past 11 years and is currently its assistant director of finance and accounting. He is a former assistant director of the Weymouth Housing Authority.
Cimmino’s wife, Patricia, attended the hearing, he noted. He also said that prohibiting his client from having contact with his own children was “draconian.”
Cimmino is also facing more charges involving a second child. He pleaded not guilty on Jan. 11 in Quincy District Court on an additional coiunt of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14 and one count of open and gross lewdness.
The alleged incident occurred in 2009 involving a different alleged victim who has come forward and spoken to police and authorities, said David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office.
The next court date for both the old case and the new case is Jan. 31 for a probable cause hearing. Judge James McGovern set an additional $15,000 bail in the new case, bringing the current total to $30,000.
Murphy asked that the restriction be maintained and that the bail figure not be changed. She said “at least one of the defendant’s children” witnessed the assault, and cited the strength of the case against him, and an investigation into another possible incident.
Sanders said she reduced the bail because Cimmino met only two of the 17 factors for setting bail: the seriousness of the charges facing him and the potential penalty.
The judge lifted the prohibition on contact with his children, questioning if she had the legal authority to do it.
“The (Department of Children and Families) is the appropriate place to work out whether he should have contact with his children,” the judge said.
She kept in place conditions prohibiting Cimmino from drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs, requiring random alcohol and drug testing, having no contact with other children under 17 and to comply with a court order barring contact with the victim or the victim’s family.
Cimmino was a cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 22 in Braintree and a religious education teacher at St. Thomas More Church, also in Braintree. He has been suspended from both volunteer positions.
Both the Boy Scouts of America and the Boston archdiocese require adult leaders to receive child-protection training.
Cimmino, who his lawyer said is the sole provider for his family, was placed on administrative leave with pay from his Boston Housing Authority job Tuesday.
