Man Charged with Rape After Abducting Woman in Barracks

Edward J Brown faces fresh charges of rape after allegedly abducting a woman from a Martha's Vineyard bar and forcing himself on her inside the State Police barracks. The incident occurred last Friday following an encounter at the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs where a man purchased drinks for his companion before transporting her to law enforcement headquarters on August 15. Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Courtney Scalice testified that Brown held the victim by the neck while she kicked and screamed until authorities located her naked on the roadside calling out for help. She reportedly fled two flights of stairs as fast as possible before police found her. The defendant pleaded not guilty at his Tuesday arraignment in Edgartown District Court where bail was set at ten thousand dollars cash which his family quickly raised to secure his release. This arrest follows troubling allegations from two ex-girlfriends who claimed Brown harassed them by refusing to stop calling even after they blocked his number. Both women obtained restraining orders in Dorchester Municipal Court citing genuine fear for their safety and secured a court order requiring him to surrender all firearms. The Boston Globe reported that Scalice described the assault as a violent act where the victim ran away only to be found helpless on the street just weeks after these prior civil claims emerged against the twenty-seven-year-old assistant director of security for Boston Public Schools.

Prosecutors say the victim told investigators she was at the Ritz Cafe dive bar in Oak Bluffs when a man wearing a white cap patted her on the butt and bought her a drink. She claimed she only remembered waking up naked and facedown in an unfamiliar bed later that night. The woman allegedly fled the room after asking Brown for water to make him leave, according to state police filings. Brown's attorney Ellison told reporters what happened was a private matter and added that the victim, who is currently in Ireland, has not indicated a desire to pursue criminal charges.

When this alleged rape on Martha's Vineyard occurred, Brown was visiting a trooper friend named Ryan Costello. Costello stated he found Brown unusually quiet around 1:30 am on August 15 inside the barracks. The man allegedly told investigators inconsistent stories about what happened with the woman at that bar. Costello said in a police interview that Brown initially denied the woman ever came to the barracks with him. Afterward, he allegedly claimed the woman did return with him but only for a brief moment. Finally, prosecutors allege Brown told his friend he left the woman in an Uber because she was too drunk to drive herself home.

Prosecutors also alleged Brown raped the woman at the State Police barracks while she was kicking and screaming during the act. Brown works as an assistant director of security for Boston Public Schools and has recently had two former girlfriends obtain restraining orders against him. The first order was filed in May by a woman who said she began casually dating Brown after they met late last year. She became worried that Brown showed signs of having a problem with alcohol and would become confrontational when he consumed it, per an affidavit cited by the Globe.

Brown allegedly became aggressive after drinking at a bar in South Boston according to legal documents reviewed by reporters. He allegedly held on to her arm when she attempted to walk away and tried to physically move her body in a forceful way. One day later, the woman found a Facebook post with comments suggesting Brown displayed aggressive and stalker-like behavior toward other women in the past. She told Brown she wanted to stop talking and blocked his number but he allegedly continued going to the same places she did. That included driving by her gym according to reported affidavits.

On June 2, the woman testified that Brown would call her over and over again in the middle of the night which she called a scare tactic. Brown's lawyer argued that those run-ins were only coincidental because the two socialized in similar circles. The order eventually expired after the judge said he was confident Brown was aware of the consequences that could befall him if further incidents occur. Ex-girlfriends stated Brown had harassed them even after they were no longer in a relationship with him.

The second restraining order was filed on August 3 by a separate ex-girlfriend who said she and Brown broke up about three years prior. She claimed Brown was using a no-caller ID phone number to call her excessively usually like every weekend when he is drinking, per reported filings. The woman also told the court during a hearing that she was scared because she knew Brown had a firearm. She told the court Brown had strangled her once before on top of being physically and verbally abusive while they were dating.

Dan O'Connell who represented Brown in that case argued the calls were not threatening. He added that Brown did not plan to keep reaching out to his ex-girlfriend in the near or distant future. Brown is scheduled to return to court on December 3 for a pretrial hearing. The Daily Mail has reached out to Brown's lawyer Ellison for comment regarding these developing events.