Dr. John Mark Felton, a vice president of Acambis Inc., a Cambridge vaccine development company, is scheduled to be arraigned today. He is accused of traveling to Alaska to take part in a child sex ring.
Felton is accused of intending to have sex with a 6–year-old boy in a tryst that had been arranged by the minor’s father. Felton allegedly planned on dressing the boy in a Spider-Man costume. He also is accused of purchasing Hannah Montana toys for the 6-year-old’s 7-year-old sister and offering to babysit the children in between “sexual assaults.”
The Back Bay physician was arrested on November 16 in Anchorage at Ted Stevens International Airport. Felton is said to have informed police that he brought costumes for the boy.
Felton allegedly was supposed to meet “Bob” and his kids at the airport baggage carousel. Instead, he was greeted by ICE Senior Special Agent Kevin Laws.
The sexual crimes case against Felton is supposedly based on pages of online conversations that began in February 2008. On Wednesday, a federal grand charged the British national with attempted aggravated sex abuse. His arraignment was scheduled for this past Monday.
Arrest for any kind of sex crime is serious-especially if the alleged victim or intended one is under 14 years of age. Some sex crime convictions can lead to life in prison. Conviction for a Massachusetts sex crime also results in one’s name being placed on a list of registered sex offenders. This can seriously limit a person’s professional and personal opportunities even if he/she has already served time for a crime.
Massachusetts sexual crimes involving child victims include:
• Child sex abuse
• Forcible rape of a child • Indecent assault on a child under age 14 • Sexual assault • Assault with intent to rape a child • Child pornography-related charges • Solicitation of a minor using the Internet
• Statutory rape (the alleged victim is younger than 16)
Back Bay doc held in kid sex case, Boston Herald, November 23, 2009
elated Web Resource:
General Laws of Massachusetts
An experienced Boston sexual assault defense law firm can defend you against the charges.