Former Mall Arcade Worker Arrested for 1998 Worcester Rape

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A North Brookfield man who worked at an arcade at the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough is facing charges of rape, indecent assault and battery and furnishing alcohol to minors after detectives investigated reports involving pornography.

On Feb. 19, members of the Worcester Police Detective Bureau/FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assisted North Brookfield Police with the investigation, and found that at least one sexual assault had occurred.

Paul Menard, 88 Old Brookfield Road, North Brookfield, was charged with one count of Rape, one count of Indecent Assault and Battery, and three counts of furnishing alcohol to minors. Menard worked at the Solomon Pond Mall arcade at the time of the arrest.

Menard was arraigned on Feb. 22 and held on $25,000 cash or $250,000 surety.

On Feb. 26, Massachusetts State Police obtained a search warrant for Menard's home, and joined detectives in finding many items of evidence in the home. On March 1, investigators from Worcester Police Detective Bureau/FBI Child Exploitation Task force and Massachusetts State Police Detectives interviewed a victim of a sexual assault that occurred on or about March 29, 1998.

On March 3, 2016 an arrest warrant was sought and received for the incident that had occurred in Worcester on or about March 29, 1998.

On March 7, 2016 Paul Menard was arraigned on the charges and subsequently held on $50,000 cash or $500,000 surety.

This investigation is ongoing, if anyone has information with regard to Mr. Menard or information about this incident or past incidents involving Mr. Menard they can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web based message atworcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at 508-799-8651.