By Steven Fletcher
Staff Writer
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A Gloucester man arraigned on eight counts of aggravated rape of a child in Gloucester District Court has been indicted and arraigned in Superior Court, and — if convicted — could face up to three life sentences for the charges.
James Brosnan, 43, whose addresses are now listed as Eastern Point Road in Gloucester and Sandy Bay Terrace in Rockport, now faces three charges of aggravated rape of a child in Essex County Superior Court following an indictment by the grand jury.
Brosnan was arrested by Gloucester and Rockport police in February and continues to be held in Middleton Jail. He is due for a pretrial conference on May 26, Essex County District Attorney's office spokeswoman Carrie Kimball-Monahan said Friday.
Kimball-Monahan said that the reduced number of charges does not reflect a reduction in the severity of the charges themselves.
"All charges at the district level were accounted for when presented to the grand jury," said Monahan, "and they were contained in the three indictments."
The charges all stem from a 21/2-year-long investigation led by Gloucester police Detective Steven Mizzoni. Each charges is a felony, and carries a minimum 10-year sentence and a maximum of life in prison.
Mizzoni's investigation, according to Gloucester police reports, began in June 2009. It was at that time, police say, that a woman called police that month and told an officer that her daughter, then 12, was involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with Brosnan.
According to police, officers brought Brosnan in for questioning soon after, but he did not talk with police and requested an attorney. The case hung there until his arrest at his Sandy Bay Terrace home in Rockport this past Feb. 7.
This time, the daughter came forward and disclosed the relationship directly to Mizzoni, and told police she had sexual relations with the man on at least eight occasions.
Gloucester Police then sought a warrant charging Brosnan with eight counts of aggravated rape of a child.
Steven Fletcher may be contacted at 1-978-283-7000 x3455, or sfletcher@gloucestertimes.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevengdt.
