CHELSEA, MASS. (WHDH) - A Chelsea man accused of raping two foster children who were in his care was arrested last week and ordered held on $50,000 bail.
Michael Diaz, 33, was arraigned Monday in Chelsea District Court on nine counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, six counts of aggravated rape of a child under 16, and a single count of distributing matter harmful to a minor, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Diaz was a Department of Children and Families approved foster parent to the two victims when the sexual abuse occurred.
Both victims disclosed alleged abuse by their former foster father during separate forensic interviews last week.
Diaz was arrested on July 19.
“These allegations are incredibly disturbing to me not only as District Attorney but as a licensed foster parent and an emergency foster care provider. Foster children are brought into strangers’ homes during some of the darkest, most frightening times in their young lives,” District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. “Foster parents are tasked with providing the safety, support, and stability that these children need to move forward and recover from the trauma many have experienced prior to DCF involvement. That an individual would further harm those most vulnerable represents the ultimate breach of trust.”
Diaz was also ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the alleged victims, have no unsupervised contact with any child under 18, and to wear a GPS monitor if he posts bail.
In a statement, a Department of Children and Families spokesperson said, “DCF finds these allegations deeply disturbing and in March 2019 immediately removed the two youths, closed the home and notified the District Attorney, consistent with the department’s policy to notify the District Attorney any time an allegation of sexual assault is filed. DCF is collaborating with law enforcement throughout the investigation.”
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