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Nicholas Chiaraluce of Woburn was released on $30,000 bail yesterday after his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court. (MIKE ADASKAVEG/POOL) |
A 21-year-old Woburn man was arraigned yesterday on charges that he raped an unconscious woman in the men's room of a Boston nightclub this past weekend.
Nicholas A. Chiaraluce pleaded not guilty in Boston Municipal Court to one count of aggravated rape and was released on $30,000 cash bail.
"I did everything I could to make sure she was OK," he told reporters after his arraignment. "I was trying to do the right thing, and I ended up getting charged."
The 21-year-old Boston woman, whose name was not released, was allegedly raped shortly after midnight Saturday morning in a second-floor men's room of the Felt nightclub, on Washington street downtown, police said.
Daniel Pokaski, chairman of the Boston Licensing Board, said yesterday he believes the attack is unprecedented.
"Has sex ever happened in a nightclub in Boston before? I'm sure it has," Pokaski said in a telephone interview.
"But rape of an unconscious woman? No, not that I am aware of."
The club's owners, through the public relations firm Regan Communications, said they acted properly after learning a woman was in the men's room and that she "appeared extremely ill."
The statement said managers called 911 and then directed police to Chiaraluce, who was standing outside the nightclub. The club said it continues to cooperate with law enforcement.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said the rape of an unconscious woman in a nightclub is a "rare event."
"This obviously is a pretty despicable action here," Conley said.
He said detectives are investigating whether the woman was drugged by Chiaraluce, who told police he did not know her, but had brought her a drink during the night.
"This is an extremely disturbing case," Conley said.
According to a police report and Conley, another patron saw Chiaraluce twice in the men's room 30 minutes apart.
During the second sighting, the patron told police the woman "was at this time unconscious on the toilet," according to the police report.
Police also said Chiaraluce summoned a friend, Matthew Drovin of Brighton, to the men's room and asked his help dressing the unconscious woman.
"Drovin stated that he told the suspect he wanted nothing to do with this and to call someone for help," police said in the report. Drovin could not be reached for comment yesterday.
But Chiaraluce's lawyer, Joan Fund of New Bedford, told Judge Thomas Horgan the charge against the computer technician was "outrageous."
She said her client stayed at the bar and cooperated with police.
"There is no [indication] that this was anything this gentlemen was trying to hide or was afraid of," said Fund, who declined to elaborate.
Chiaraluce's father, Alfred, was in court for the arraignment and posted the cash bail.
"He's a good kid," said Alfred Chiaraluce, who spoke outside court before and after the hearing. "He did nothing wrong.
"He was Mr. Nice Guy. He wanted to help, and he's being wrongly charged."
Alfred Chiaraluce said police arrested the wrong person and that his son "went for help." He questioned the woman's actions, saying "he didn't carry her in there."
Chiaraluce is scheduled to return to court March 5 for a probable cause hearing.
Pokaski, the head of the city agency that oversees bars and nightclubs, said Felt's good reputation has been "slipping."
He said the board held a hearing Tuesday on a patron's complaint that a bouncer had physically assaulted him. He said the board will vote today on what sanctions to impose on the bar, which could include a suspension of its license.
The nightclub was cited by police in connection with the alleged attack on the woman, and Pokaski said the board will hold a hearing later on that case.
Among the questions for the bar operators, he said, is whether they served the woman too many drinks.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
