By Kristen Grieco
Staff writer
March 27, 2008 06:17 am An Essex County grand jury indicted a Gloucester man on child rape and assault charges at Salem Superior Court on Friday. Michael Brien, 42, of 115 Pleasant St., was indicted on four counts of rape of a child with force, one count of indecent assault and battery and a charge of assault and battery on a child causing bodily harm. He will be arraigned at Salem Superior Court on April 7. Brien was arrested by Gloucester police last Sept. 4 after an 8-year-old Rockport girl in foster care told a guardian in August that Brien had sexually abused her many times in the past year. In interviews with authorities, the girl told police that Brien, whom she knew, forced her to perform sex acts several times and inappropriately touched her one time. All these actions took place in her home, according to the Rockport police report. Brien also hit her in the eye one day before school, she told the state Department of Social Services in the interview. Rockport Patrolman Timothy Frithsen checked with Rockport Elementary School nurse Wanda Visnick and found a record of the girl coming to school with a bruise on the left corner of her eye. After being held without bail for two weeks after his arrest, Brien was released on personal recognizance — with several restrictions — after a dangerousness hearing in Gloucester District Court in September. He was ordered to stay away from the victim, the victim's family and her residence; to check in with probation at least once a week; to cooperate with the state Department of Social Services; to stay away from drugs and alcohol and to submit to random drug and alcohol screening. Brien was also prohibited from changing his residence on Pleasant Street until the case has been decided.
Kristen Grieco can be reached at kgrieco@gloucestertimes.com.
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