A Dublin firefighter accused of raping a 28-year-old woman over St Patrick's Day weekend in Boston appeared in Suffolk Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty.
Terence Crosbie, 37, from Dublin was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport last March when he attempted to fly back to Ireland. He was indicted by a grand jury on a rape charge in May.
According to the prosecution, Crosbie was in Boston with members of the Dublin Fire Brigade for the St Patrick's Day parade.
The woman told Boston police she had been assaulted at the iconic Omni Parker House hotel after meeting Crosbie and one of his colleagues while out to dinner on Thursday, March 14th, Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy told the court.
US media reports and Channel 10 news Boston detailed that the woman informed police she had gone back to the hotel with a man who was staying in the same room as Crosbie. She said they both fell asleep in separate beds in the room. Crosbie was not there at the time, prosecutors said, but returned to the room a few hours later in the early morning hours Friday.
The court heard that hotel key swipe records have him accessing the room around 1.55am.
Ms Murphy said: ”Because the victim was asleep when he returned she was unaware that he was even there until she woke up to him actively raping her.
“She demanded that he stop and asked what he was doing, and the defendant continued. He did not stop, and he made remarks to the effect of that he knew that she wanted this, that it was pathetic that his friend had fallen asleep and couldn’t do it and that he was going to do it for her.”
The woman collected her things and left the room around 2.15am, according to hotel records, immediately texting a friend to tell them she'd been sexually assaulted. She then sought hospital treatment.
The prosecution said that when Crosbie learned of the police investigation he tried to return to Ireland, changing his return flight and trying to board an even earlier one at Logan Airport. He was removed from the flight and arrested.
When interviewed by police, Crosbie admitted that he had returned to the room in the timeframe in question and that there was a woman there when he arrived, but denied having any interaction with her. He denied the rape allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Crosbie's defence team argued that his client was not trying to flee the country but was unsure of what to do when facing legal trouble in a foreign country over a holiday weekend and was trying to return home for help.
The defence counsel pushed for a $5,000 (€4,593) cash bail, citing concerns about Crosbie's financial means in a foreign country.
Prosecution requested a $100,000 (€91,868) bail, citing the nature of the charges and Crosbie's connection to Ireland, pointing to his attempts to get on a flight as an area of concern.
The prosecution also noted that due to the way Crosbie was removed from a department flight last minute, his immigration status is now considered an illegal entry and if he were to be released, he could face detainment.
The judge set Crosbie's bail at $100,000 cash, with conditions that the defendant must stay away and have no contact direct or indirect with the alleged victim, not to leave Massachusetts, to surrender his passport prior to release and not apply for another one.
