State trooper demanded sexual favor to prevent towing of car

Local News

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Terrence Kent has been indicted on charges of bribery and indecent assault and battery.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper accused of asking a driver for a sexual favor to prevent their vehicle from being towed has been indicted on sexual assault charges, authorities announced Tuesday. 

Terrence Kent has been indicted on charges of bribery and indecent assault and battery, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office said in a statement. 

Prosecutors allege that the victim was parked near Soldiers Field Road in Brighton when Kent allegedly used his State Police cruiser to block the victim’s car from leaving on Aug. 24, 2024 around 4 p.m. Kent allegedly told the victim that his registration and insurance were expired and his car needed to be towed. 

In response to concerns from the victim, Kent allegedly told him that they could meet at a Department of Transportation property in Lexington. Kent then allegedly told the victim that if he performed a sexual act as a favor, he would “take care” of the victim by not towing the car, the DA said. 

“The defendant in this case allegedly used his position of power as a sworn police officer to commit a sexual assault,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. “These allegations, if true, are a blatant violation of the public trust and his obligation to uphold high ethical standards and the values of the community.”

An arraignment date for Kent’s case in Middlesex Superior Court has not yet been set. 

State Police said in November that Kent, who graduated from the State Police Academy in 2017, had been suspended without pay as the investigation into the allegations was underway. He had previously been suspended for eight days and forfeited 38 days of time off for abandoning his assigned post in 2023, according to data from the state’s police watchdog agency.

“The Massachusetts State Police does not tolerate any form of misconduct, and we hold our members accountable to the highest standards,” a police spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. “Trooper Kent remains suspended without pay. The Department remains fully cooperative with investigators from the Lexington Police Department. We will closely monitor the criminal trial as part of our ongoing internal affairs investigation.”