Former Walpole football coach to be arraigned in Wrentham

December 30, 2008 08:29 AM Email| Comments (16)| Text size – +

By Globe Staff

A former Walpole High School football coach posted $50,000 bail in Arizona and flew on a commercial flight last night back to Massachusetts to face child rape charges.

Daniel Villa, 44, will be arraigned today in Wrentham District Court after flying unaccompanied on an airliner that landed shortly after midnight. He was taken into custody at Logan International Airport by Walpole and State Police, who were aware of his impending arrival.

Villa was booked at the Walpole Police Station and is expected to be arraigned on three counts of rape of a child over 14 and three counts of enticing a minor. Police believe the only victim was a female Walpole High student-athlete.

Villa, who played six years for the New England Patriots during his professional football career, made his initial appearance yesterday in Arizona Superior Court, where he was seen by a magistrate via video from the Pima County jail. An extradition hearing had been scheduled for Jan. 6. It was not immediately clear why he flew back to Massachusetts before the extradition hearing.

Villa's lawyer, Heather Virginia Baer, did not return a phone message today seeking comment.

» Back to Front Page

16 comments so far...

This is the story that we were talking about!

Posted by Eric December 30, 08 09:49 AM

Guilty until proven innocent

This smells like the Duke boys la crosse team story all over again.

Posted by jd portsmouth December 30, 08 10:27 AM

What a sad situation for that poor girl and Danny's family. How can a married father if four make such poor decisions?

Posted by Ronnie Izzo December 30, 08 10:46 AM

Sounds like some little hottie went after him...

Posted by Bill December 30, 08 10:47 AM

Let's just see what happens. It's a shame for everyone.

Posted by Chip December 30, 08 10:49 AM

And what charges were brought against the witch who falsely accused those young men? Nothing. That's the real crime committed against men. False allegations by women against men go unpunished.

Posted by nofool December 30, 08 10:49 AM

Is Walpole high hiring? I like girls over 18 so I might not be qualified.

Posted by will1233 December 30, 08 11:04 AM

Every picture I see of him now looks like he's waiting for the hammer to drop.

Posted by david macdonald December 30, 08 11:04 AM

older man,younger girl,,,,has rplaced homosexuality as the new "love that dare not speak its name"

Posted by jimmy December 30, 08 11:12 AM

We've ruined his life forever and convicted him prior to any trial. ....what a shameless act by the media

Posted by COLL December 30, 08 11:29 AM

not that I think grown men should be having sex with teenagers...but this seems like a consentual thing, and not a forced "rape".

Posted by thinkin December 30, 08 11:42 AM

It is NOT Duke all over again. This guy will not be able to deny the evidence on over 500 text messages. My heart goes out to the victim here (who our daughter knows personally), Mrs. Villa and the children. This is a unfair tragedy they must endure through no fault of their own.

Posted by firecrackable December 30, 08 11:43 AM

It looks like she was a willing participant... but it is still statutory rape.. he should know not to romance a 15 year old kid... his life is ruined forever, even if he does not get convicted or anything, it's already out there and all of his family's life is going to change.. because of a poorly made choice to have a relationship with a minor.. now his kids have to suffer! Really??? He must have really loved her to put his family through this.

Posted by Laiza December 30, 08 02:23 PM

i think what jp portsmouth is trying to say is that villa will be not guilty to the cahrges of rape when he supposedly seduced her to kissing and touching which would be rape like the duke lacrosse team, the text messages he is deffinetly screwed on

Posted by lazyboy123 December 30, 08 02:48 PM

I'm 44 and have 3 teen daughters, so I'm not buying the media spin.

Villa is a moron who just ruined his life via a horrible decision. However, he is not a molestor or rapist.

The girl will live with this forever and will never be the same. However, it was not rape. She obviously went along with it until she was caught.

And her parents knew all along something was up. (Out in the middle of night?, Being picked up by a 44yo?) PLEASE!

The only victims here are Villa's family. Period.

Overall, a great tragedy. For what?

Posted by swimmerkennedy December 30, 08 03:26 PM

>>The girl will live with this forever and will never be the same. However, it was not rape.<<

check your state statutes. it's rape in this state.

and last time i checked, the stripper in the Duke case didn't have 500+ texts sent to her within one month, all of which supported her assertion.

the guy's a pedophile and any shame to his family is brought by HIM.