Lowell Cop Raped Homeless Teen In Exchange For Her Freedom: DA

LOWELL, MA — A Lowell police officer was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a homeless 16-year-old girl, the Middlesex District Attorney's office announced Thursday. Kevin Garneau, 49, of Pelham, New Hampshire, was charged with two counts of rape and arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court.

In 2016, the girl was addicted to heroin and living in a tent in an area of Lowell set apart for the city's homeless population. Garneau, a well-known bicycle patrol officer, was a member of the Community Opioid Outreach Program, which provided aid to recent overdose victims and the homeless, the Lowell Sun reported.

Garneau told the girl there were warrants out for her arrest and he would not take her into custody in exchange for sex, the DA's office said. The girl accused Garneau of three sexual assaults over two months in 2016.

The Lowell Police Department placed Garneau on administrative leave while it investigated the allegations, which were reported in January. He has been on unpaid leave since being formally charged, according to the Sun.

Garneau was indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury June 26. He was released on personal recognizance, will be electronically monitored and ordered to stay away from the girl.

Garneau will next appear in court July 23.