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Dublin firefighter accused of raping woman in Boston held on $100,000 bail

Terrence Crosbie was remanded into custody until his next court date in May after appearing in court today

Today at 21:31

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

Terrence Crosbie (37) was before a judge today in Boston, Massachusetts for a probable cause hearing, where he was remanded into 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 historic Omni Parker House hotel in Boston on Friday, March 15.

After being charged, Mr Crosbie was held on $100,000 bail and ordered to surrender his passport and not leave Massachusetts.

The woman (28) told police that 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.

According to court documents, the woman told police that 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 in the case claim that 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.

“As always in these matters, the willingness of the victim to come forward is crucial,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden said on March 18.

A spokesperson for Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, Tina Nguyen, confirmed to the Irish Independent this evening that Mr Crosbie appeared in court today and continues to be held on $100,000 bail, with the case due to be heard again on May 1.

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.”