This story was updated Tuesday, May 2, 2017.
Police have charged a Harvard man with multiple counts of indecently touching children and endangering their safety.
Sam C. Smith, 36, of 116 Littleton County Road, was charged in Clinton District Court on Friday, April 21, with six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, three counts of child endangerment, and one count of providing alcohol to a minor under the age of 21. The first nine charges are felonies under Massachusetts law. According to Harvard Police Chief Ed Denmark, none of the three victims, whose names and addresses have been withheld, is a Harvard resident. According to police reports, the six incidents of indecent contact are alleged to have occurred at Smith’s home and the three incidents of endangerment in his car. The incidents occurred over a period of one to two years, the most recent two to three weeks ago.
Smith was arraigned in Clinton District Court Friday afternoon and later released on $2,000 bail. He was ordered to stay away from the alleged victims and a location that the children frequent. He is prohibited from any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. He was also ordered to wear a GPS monitor for which he was fitted April 24. In an interview with the Press, Denmark said that in his view, Smith was not a danger to the community. In a Friday email to the Press Denmark added that his comment was meant to reduce fear, not minimize the crime. “I was trying to convey [to the Press] that [Smith] was not randomly abducting and assaulting people, and that the victims were all known to him,” Denmark said
Harvard police first learned of the allegations against Smith in an April 11 phone call from the state’s Department of Children and Families. DCF had received complaints from a third party who was required by state law to report when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect. According to police records, three of the children cited by DCF were interviewed with their parents in the Worcester district attorney’s office.
Pretrial hearing in May
After listening to the interviews and with the support of the parents and children, Assistant District Attorney Tara Nechev agreed there was probable cause to issue a warrant for Smith’s arrest. Because the interviews suggested that Smith might be in possession of unlicensed firearms, police also applied for and were granted a warrant to search Smith’s house. When Smith learned of the warrants, he turned himself in at Clinton District Court, according to court records. When police searched his house, no unlicensed weapons were found, said Denmark.
If convicted for indecent assault and battery Smith would be required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board. Conviction could also result in jail time. Denmark said that the investigation is ongoing and that additional victims and charges may be forthcoming. Smith’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for May 26 at Clinton District Court.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify Harvard Police Chief Ed Denmark’s remark regarding the danger the subject poses to the community.
