Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Canadian teenager accused of sexually assaulting a boarding room classmate during a 2007 class trip to Boston has pleaded guilty to one count of Massachusetts assault and battery. Armin Ruzbie, 19, was one of four 11th grade students accused of entering the hotel room of the male victim, then 16, at the Midtown Hotel on November 16, 2007.
According to prosecutors, Ruzbie pulled down the boy’s pants and touched him inappropriately while someone else, who is now a codefendant, held him down. Ruzbie then called the boy’s room afterward claiming the incident was a joke. Another student had recorded the incident on video. While the codefendant faces the same Boston assault charges, the other two students were not charged.
Ruzbie has expressed remorse over his actions and says that he has tried hard to become a better person. After entering his guilty plea, he was sentenced to four years probation. He must also undergo evaluation for possible bullying and sex offender treatment. He is not allowed to go near the victim and his family, who are suing him in a civil lawsuit in Canada.
Although Ruzbie did not enter a plea for the charge of Boston indecent assault and battery, he was sentenced to pretrial probation for the crime. This means that if he gets in trouble again, prosecutors could decide to try him for this crime, which comes with a maximum five years in state prison for a conviction.
If your son or daughter has been charged with a Massachusetts crime, it is important that you work with a Boston criminal defense law firm that will know how to fight to obtain the best outcome possible for the case. Conviction for a crime can impact the rest of your son or daughter’s life. You must have a team that can advocate on his/her behalf.
Teen enters guilty plea in assault on student, Boston.com, August 5, 2010
Bully laments role in ‘sick’ sexual assault, Boston Herald, August 5, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Crimes Against the Person, The General Laws of Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Court System
Contact our Boston assault and battery lawyers today.
