Former Camp Good News counselor arraigned on child rape charge

(MyFoxBoston.com) – A Pennsylvania man was arraigned Monday for alleged incidents that occurred in 1981 while he was a camp counselor at Camp Good News in Sandwich.

Richard P. Smith, 65, of Media, Penn., was indicted by a grand jury on several charges, including rape of a child, indecent assault and battery, and indecent assault and battery upon a child under the age of 14 (five counts). The allegations involve four campers between the ages of 11 and 15.

Smith was held on $100,000 surety bail. He is scheduled to return to court May 8.

Smith is one of nine potential perpetrators being investigated by state police detectives assigned to the Cape and Island District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors began investigating allegations of abuse at the camp two years ago after then-Sen. Scott Brown wrote in a memoir he'd been molested at a Christian summer camp on Cape Cod in the 1970s. He didn't name it or pursue charges. Camp Good News later said Brown had attended there and apologized.

Due to the passage of time, the statute of limitations has run its course on some of the allegations and other alleged victims do not wish to pursue charges. The identities of some of the perpetrators are unknown.

Cox Media Group