Parents Back North Andover Student Accused Of Rape

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The parents of the North Andover High School student accused of rape say media reports have vilified him and they are "terrified" he will not be able to receive a fair trial. Eliezer Tuttle, 18, was charged last month with twice raping a girl in New Hampshire on February 17. Since then, at least three students at North Andover High have said they too were assaulted by Tuttle.

"Our son stands accused of a crime that he did not commit, yet a barrage of reports in the media have and continue to mischaracterize and vilify him," said the statement released by Nicole Reilly, the family's attorney. "Those accounts, some of which lack critical context, are replete with inaccuracies. We find it appalling that prior unsubstantiated and uncharged accusations by others are being used against him."

Of the three North Andover High School students who made accusations, only one resulted in charges. School officials were first notified that Tuttle had been accused of a sexual assault when a then 15-year-old student at the school went to police and told them Tuttle raped her in October 2017. Tuttle was never prosecuted in the 2017 case because prosecutors thought the victim was "too fragile to testify."

"Any previous uncharged allegations that were brought to the attention of the police were investigated extensively. As a result, the decision was made not to pursue criminal charges against Eli," the family's statement said.

But in March of last year, another student was attacked by Tuttle in his car. The victim, according to an affidavit, fought Tuttle off when he forcibly tried to take her clothes off and climbed on top of her.

That case was continued without a finding until Tuttle's 19th birthday. Such rulings are often given to first-time offenders. While Tuttle effectively admitted that a jury would find him guilty if the case went to trial, the continuation without a finding meant the incident would have been erased from his record had he stayed out of trouble.

The victim in the New Hampshire case is not a North Andover High School student. According to court documents, Tuttle raped her in his car outside of a Salem, New Hampshire, restaurant and later on the same day in the parking lot of a movie theater.

"We are terrified that this case is being tried in the media in such a way that our son will never receive a fair trial," Tuttle's parents said. "Those who truly know Eli know him to be a loving, generous, and genuine person who believes the best in everyone....There are two side to every story and many facts that have yet to come to light. In the appropriate time and through the appropriate legal mechanisms, the truth will be revealed."

Related Coverage On Patch

• For North Andover Alum, Sex Assault Discussion Came Too Late
• North Andover Schools Rescind Controversial Safety Plans
• North Andover Students Walk Out, Protest Sexual Assault Handling

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).