Former Medford soccer coaches indicted on rape charges
Two former Medford soccer coaches were indicted on child rape charges today, prosecutors said.
A Middlesex Superior Court Grand Jury indicted Roger Lau, 26, of Medford, on four counts of child rape by force and Thomas Heinz, 26, also of Medford, on a single count of the same charge, according to the Middlesex district attorney's office.
Both Lau and Heinz have pleaded not guilty to all charges, and lawyers for the two have said the men were wrongly accused.
During their arraignment in December, Lau's attorney, Jason Thomas said, "We believe that once all the investigating is done, these complaints will be unmerited."
Both men are accused of raping the same girl, while they were coaching the under-14 girls soccer league in Medford. Prosecutors said the assaults occurred during a period beginning in the spring of 2003 through the summer of 2004.
Jessica Venezia, spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said the victim -- who was 13 to 14 years old over the period of time -- told authorities she was involved in a sexual relationship with Lau for over a year, while Heinz assaulted her on two separate incidents. The Globe does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The investigation into the two men began in November after the victim came forward and informed Medford police of the alleged assaults, Venezia said. Lau was arrested on Dec. 21 and was ordered held on $8,000 cash bail, which he posted. Heinz was arrested the next day, and released on his own recognizance.
As a condition of their pre-trial release, the defendants were ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. The two were also barred from any contact with children under 16, including coaching or officiating.
Prosecutors said Lau initially lured the then 13-year-old victim to his house to watch a movie, but then had sex with her, and continued the relationship for several months. Heinz allegedly raped the victim at Lau's house while Lau was having sex with an unidentified female in the same room, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing.
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