Dublin firefighter accused of rape in Boston held on bail

A Dublin Fire Brigade firefighter charged with raping a woman in Boston over the St Patrick’s festival weekend has appeared in court.

Terence Crosbie (37) was before a judge yesterday in Boston, Massachusetts, for a probable cause hearing, where he was remanded in custody to appear in court again on May 1.

Mr Crosbie was charged on March 18 in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court with raping a woman at the Omni Parker House hotel on Friday, March 15. After being charged, Mr Crosbie was held on $100,000 (€94,000) bail and ordered to surrender his passport and not leave Massachusetts.

The woman (28) told police she was sexually assaulted, with prosecutors obtaining video surveillance from the hotel and from the Black Rose, a bar and restaurant, which both Mr Crosbie and the woman visited on March 14.

According to court documents obtained by WCVB Channel 5 Boston, the woman and Mr Crosbie’s friend, who met at the Black Rose, returned to the Omni Parker House hotel room that Crosbie and his friends were sharing. There, they engaged in consensual sex.

The documents state that video surveillance tapes show Mr Crosbie entering the hotel room two hours later.

According to court documents, the woman told police she woke up to Mr Crosbie sexually assaulting her.

After telling him to stop, she claimed he said: “This guy is sleeping, I know you want this.”

Prosecutors claim Mr Crosbie was interviewed by police on March 16, a day after the alleged sexual assault, after he booked an earlier flight back to Ireland for 10.10pm that night, days before his scheduled flight.

Members of the Massachusetts State Police stopped Mr Crosbie’s plane on the tarmac and removed him.

A spokesperson for Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, Tina Nguyen, confirmed that Mr Crosbie appeared in court yesterday and continues to be held on $100,000 bail.

In a statement last month, Dublin Fire Brigade said: “Dublin Fire Brigade chief fire officer has been made aware that the Boston Police Department have begun a criminal investigation into an alleged serious case involving a member of Dublin Fire Brigade.

“The firefighter has immediately been placed on leave. We cannot comment on the specific circumstances but we would reiterate the high standards that we expect from all who represent our organisation at any event.

“As a result, we are conducting an internal investigation and establishing the facts in collaboration with the appropriate authorities and the organisers of the delegation.

“As this is a criminal investigation, we will not be making any further comment at this time.”