WOBURN– Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Somerville Police Chief Charles Femino announced today that a Somerville teacher has been arraigned on rape charges for conducting an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year- old minor.
Alexandra Romanos, 41, of Stoneham, was arraigned today on charges of aggravated rape of a child (two counts), and indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 (three counts). Somerville District Court Judge Neil Walker ordered the defendant held on $50,000 with conditions that if she posts bail she is to have no contact with the victim or victim’s family; no unsupervised contact with children under 16; stay away from Somerville School system; have a GPS monitor and remain under house arrest.
The defendant’s next court date is July 29th for a probable cause hearing.
“We entrust teachers with our children to educate, supervise and mentor them especially during these very important early years of their lives. Teachers and parents traditionally form a critical partnership. We clearly expect that they won’t take advantage of these children entrusted to them,” District Attorney Ryan said. “These are very distressing allegations. The idea that a teacher would use their position of authority to manipulate an impressionable young teenager is unsettling and alarming.”
“The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority, so it is all the more disturbing that a teacher—the very individual most entrusted to ensure that safety on a daily basis—has allegedly blatantly violated that trust,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville. “I commend the parent who took the right step in reporting this to school officials, and I commend and thank the District Attorney’s Office and the Somerville Police for their swift and thorough investigation. We will continue to cooperate with the D.A.’s investigation in any way needed.”
According to authorities, at the end of June, they became aware of allegations concerning an inappropriate relationship between the defendant, a teacher at the East Somerville Community School, and the minor. At that time, Somerville Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office began an investigation. Through that investigation, it was allegedly discovered that in late March the defendant had initiated a sexual relationship with the minor that occurred both on and off-school grounds.
The defendant has been placed on administrative leave by the Community School.
The defendant was arrested by Somerville Police this morning without incident.
These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Marisa Tagliareni of the District Attorney’s Child Protection Unit. The Victim Witness Advocate is Rebecca Auld. The Child Interview Specialist is Alicia Compitello.