PITTSFIELD â” Galileo Mondol looked on while a 16-year-old Somerville High School student used a broomstick to rape a freshman boy who was participating in a preseason program for the schoolâ™s athletes in Western Massachusetts, a prosecutor said today.
Galileo Mondol at the arraignment (Christine Peterson for The Boston Globe)
The 17-year-old Mondol is a danger who must be jailed while awaiting trial, Berkshire Assistant District Attorney Rachel Eramo argued as she provided new details about a case that has shocked the city.
Eramo sought, and Central Berkshire District Court Judge Philip A. Beattie granted, a dangerousness hearing for Mondol, which is now set for Friday. Until then, Mondol will remain jailed on $100,000 cash bail.
In asking for the detention hearing, Eramo summarized Mondolâ™s alleged role in the sexual assault that took place at Camp Lenox in Otis, where some 165 Somerville students, along with 20 adult supervisors, were participating in the preseason program.
Eramo said Mondol and two 16-year-old teammates forced their way into a cabin occupied by freshmen and started saying, âœWeâ™re going to pick someone. Itâ™s going to be you. Itâ™s going to be you,â as they pointed at individuals in the room.
Then, one of the 16-year-old boys grabbed a broom, forced a freshman onto the floor on his hands and knees and raped him with the broom, Eramo said. Citing information provided by victims and witnesses, she said Mondol told his two accomplices to stop, but once the assault was underway, he changed his mind.
âœI want to have a crack at that,â™â™ Mondol allegedly said, according to Eramo. âœIf you do it again, I will lift up the broomstick,â™â™ Mondol also allegedly said.
Mondol and the two 16-year olds then assaulted two more freshman, but they managed to fight off the attacks and were not raped, but were poked with the broomstick in their buttocks, Eramo said.
Eramo said Mondol and his alleged accomplices told the victims not to report the incident to authorities while they were still at the camp. When the victims returned to Somerville, Mondol and his two accomplices pressured the victims in conversations on Facebook, the prosecutor said.
Eramo said State Police later recovered a blood-stained tissue from the cabin and discovered a brown stain, believed to be blood, in the cabinâ™s bathroom.
Mondolâ™s defense attorney, William Korman, told the judge that his client was in âœthe wrong place at the wrongâ™â™ time and actively tried to end the assaults. He asked for $10,000 cash bail, which the judge rejected in favor of the prosecution's request for a dangerousness hearing.
Mondol, whose parents were in court today, did not show any obvious emotion during the court proceeding.
Mondol pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated rape of a child under the age of 16, two counts of assault with intent to rape a child under 16, one count of indecent assault and battery, three counts of assault and battery, and three counts of witness intimidation.
The 16 year-olds are to be arraigned in Berkshire Juvenile Court on similar charges, according to Berkshire District Attorney David Capelessâ™s office. Because of their age, prosecutors would not release their names or confirm when they will appear in court.
Dan Adams can be reached at dadams@globe.com. Find him on Twitter at @DanielAdams86.