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Mass. captain pleads guilty to assault, battery of a child

Additional charges against Millbury Capt. Walter Swenson were dropped as a result of the plea, including assault to rape a child

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Tom Matthews
masslive.com

MILLBURY, Mass. — A Millbury fire captain was sentenced to two and a half years in jail after pleading guilty in Worcester District Court Wednesday to charges of indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14.

Judge David P. Despotopulos sentenced Millbury Fire Department Captain Walter Swenson to two and a half years at the Franklin County House of Corrections after the 36-year-old accepted a plea agreement.

Swenson was convicted Wednesday on six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14.

Swenson was facing 16 charges, which included charges of indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14, aggravated; assault to rape a child; strangulation; and domestic assault and battery. But as part of the plea agreement, the aggravated part was dropped from the indecent assault and battery charges, and due to the amended charge, the case was held in District Court.

As a result of the plea, the assault to rape a child, strangulation and domestic assault and battery charges were dismissed.

As of Wednesday morning, the Millbury Fire Department website still lists Swenson as a captain at Station 3. MassLive was unable to reach a representative from the department Wednesday for comment to determine Swenson’s current employment status.

Swenson was arraigned in Worcester District Court in December 2021 and posted $5,000 cash bail.

An 11-year-old girl told authorities that Swenson had tried to rape her since she was 5 years old, according to documents filed in Worcester District Court.

In court Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Corey said the victim told a friend she was being sexually abused.

School administrators later called the victim to the office, where she met with a DCF social worker and law enforcement officials, Corey said.

The girl told the DCF social worker and officials that Swenson tried to take her clothes off and “touch her in private places.” The girl pushed Swenson off and ran off during the most recent incident on Dec. 2, 2021, court records indicate.

The girl told officials that the assaults had happened every day for the last six years, court documents read.

Swenson was also accused of trying to choke the girl at least two times, according to documents.

This was the first time the girl reported the allegations. The girl said she was scared to tell a parent, court records show.

The girl also told authorities that Swenson has hit her before with an open hand and that she has seen him hit another person as well, court records state.

At Swenson’s home, a DCF social worker asked if he knew why authorities were there.

Swenson, without hesitation, said, “I inappropriately touched” her, according to court documents. Asked how many times, Swenson allegedly said, “Dozens of times. I should have got help.”

In a separate incident in 2010, Swenson was charged with indecent assault and battery after touching a woman at a Millbury bar and later at his home, court documents show.

In that case, the victim woke up at 2:30 a.m. and saw Swenson on top of her and her pants around her knees. She pushed him off, according to court records.

In the 2010 case, Swenson was charged in Worcester District Court, but the charge was later amended to assault and battery. The case was continued without a finding with a two-year term of supervised probation. The case was then dismissed, according to court documents.

According to Swenson’s attorney, Hilary Fenton, Swenson accepted the plea as soon as possible because he wants to receive treatment.

Despotopulos ordered Swenson to three years of probation following his release from prison. Swenson was also ordered to register as a sex offender, receive sex offender treatment, have no unsupervised contact with children under 16 and stay away from the victim.

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