A serial child rapist in Massachusetts will remain jailed after officials introduced new charges against him days after his release was granted.
WHDH reported that corrections officers and state troopers arrested Wayne Chapman, 70, Wednesday morning on charges of indecent exposure; lewd, wanton and lascivious acts; and open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior. The charges stemmed from incidents occurring on Sunday and Monday at MCI-Shirley prison, where Chapman has been held since 1977.
Chapman is accused of exposing and touching himself while in full view of a nurse at the prison. The nurse went on to say that she felt Chapman purposefully exposed himself and that she felt “violated and disgusted by his behavior,” court documents obtained by the news station stated.
According to WBZ-TV, Chapman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping two boys from Lawrence. While he completed his sentence in 2004, prosecutors pushed for Chapman to be designated as “a sexually dangerous person” and sought a civil commitment to keep him imprisoned. Court documents indicated that the convicted child rapist had admitted to victimizing as many as 100 boys, the news station reported.
MassLive.com reported that Chapman’s release became imminent Monday when the Supreme Judicial Court justice denied a motion from his victims which urged to keep him jailed. Chapman sought a review earlier this year. During those proceedings, two psychologists determined that his age and physical health meant he wasn’t a threat. The decision meant that the Department of Corrections must release him.
This week, attorney Eric Tennen said Chapman is unable to live independently due to health issues and was seeking a bed in a facility to so he could receive comprehensive care. He told The Boston Globe that he wasn’t aware of the new charges filed against his client.
Chapman pleaded not guilty to the latest round of charges during a Wednesday court appearance. The judge ordered him to be held without bail.
“I am not surprised by this development. Chapman has committed other sex offenses while behind bars, including one as recently as this March involving the same conduct for which he was charged today — indecent exposure and lewd conduct,” Wendy Murphy, the attorney representing the victims, said in a statement.
“It boggles the mind that not one but two qualified examiners could find this man not sexually dangerous. The absurdity of their decisions is why we have been fighting so hard to prevent his release.”
[Feature Image: Wayne Chapman/Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board]
