A former Boston police union leader wept in court Monday as child rape victims mauled him after the disgraced cop admitted to raping and sexually abusing multiple children over a period of nearly three decades.
Former Police Patrolmen’s Association chief Patrick Rose, 67, pleaded guilty to 21 counts of child rape and sexual assault that occurred over a 27-year period and involved victims aged 7 to 16, said the prosecutors.
The former police officer sat in court and wept as he heard some of his victims make impact statements before being sentenced to up to 13 years in prison.
“I saw you for what you really are – a coward, a predator of the weak and defenseless,” the victim said in court.
Another victim said Rose lost his reputation as a protector.
“Your reputation? Absolutely gone,” said the victim. “All you’ll ever remember is another creep with nothing for himself. Your job as a police officer to protect people? [Well] that’s really quite ironic, isn’t it?’
Rose had first faced allegations of child sexual abuse in the mid-1990s, but the criminal charges were dropped.
However, according to documents released by the city last year, Rose was allowed to remain on duty for years despite internal investigators finding sufficient evidence to support claims that he sexually assaulted a minor.
Patrick Rose, 67, broke down in court on Monday and wept as some of his victims made impact statements, calling him a coward and a creep
Rose covered his face in court when he was charged in 2020. On Monday he pleaded guilty to 21 counts of child rape and sexual assault over a 27-year period
Rose first faced allegations of child sexual abuse in the mid-1990s. Nevertheless, he was allowed to keep his badge for 20 years and was elected president of the Boston Police Patrolman’s Association
Rose had been relieved of his weapon and placed on administrative duty, but was restored to full duty after an attorney for the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association wrote to the commissioner in 1997 threatening to file a complaint, as evidenced by NBC Boston received documents.
He was then elected President of the Boston Police Patrolman’s Association in 2014 and served until his retirement in 2018.
Rose was accused in August 2020 of sexually abusing a 7-year-old relative who, now a teenager, told police the abuse continued for five years until she turned 12.
The victim told police Rose allegedly touched her inappropriately and asked her to perform sexual acts on him at his West Roxbury home. Several other people then came forward and claimed they had been abused by Rose.
He was eventually charged with 33 counts of sexually abusing six children.
On Monday, Rose pleaded guilty to a multitude of sex abuse crimes spanning nearly three decades.
Rose previously denied the charges but reached a settlement with prosecutors.
On Monday, Rose listened in court as some of his victims made statements, calling him a coward and a creep
Documents released last year from a 1996 internal investigation by the police department showed senior officials concluded Rose had likely sexually abused a child, although he continued to patrol Dorchester and interact with children and victims of sexual abuse, masslive reported .com
Then-Police Commissioner Paul Evans and Chief of Internal Investigations Ann Marie Doherty released a joint statement in April 2021 defending their actions and saying they could not discipline Rose because they had no witness or other evidence, reported the globe.
“We believed then, and we still believe, that the Boston Police Department did everything that could be done to hold Rose accountable in this matter,” the statement said.
Rose, who was union president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association at the time, testified during a 2016 hearing on the issue of body cameras for Boston police officers
On Monday, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden commended the victims for their courage and said he hoped the plea would bring some measure of healing.
“Everyone who was in this courtroom today knows the tremendous courage, steadfastness and bravery they have endured throughout this horrific incident. These are monstrous, monstrous acts,” he said outside the court.
Following the impact statements, Rose expressed remorse in a statement he read in court.
“I want to apologize for my despicable behavior,” he said. “I apologize to my former colleagues. I apologize to my former friends, but more importantly, I apologize to my family. I am very sorry for those I have hurt.