Prosecutor charged with sex assault

An assistant prosecutor for the Bristol County district attorney was charged yesterday with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female on Friday inside the Attleboro District Courthouse.

Pete Joseph Costanza, 39, pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, assault and battery, and attempted extortion at his arraignment yesterday, said Bridget Norton Middleton, a spokeswoman for the Plymouth County district attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case.

"Obviously, to avoid the appearance of conflict, we'll be prosecuting it," Middleton said. An assistant district attorney from Plymouth was named special prosecutor.

Allegations of sexual abuse surfaced Friday afternoon, and Costanza was arrested over the weekend, Middleton said. Costanza is accused of assaulting the victim, who was involved in a criminal case, in a conference room adjacent to the courtroom.

Costanza, who was hired in April 2005, has been suspended from his job without pay, pending an internal investigation, said Gregg Milliote, a spokesman for the Bristol district attorney.