Bryon Hefner in court on April 24, 2018. (Ben Parker/WBZ NewsRadio 1030)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The estranged husband of former Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court Tuesday morning on charges he indecently assaulted men who had business before the senate.
Staring straight ahead, Bryon Hefner pleaded not guilty to ten felony charges, including sexual assault and criminal lewdness.
He was released on personal recognizance, with conditions including staying away from the alleged victims and the Massachusetts State House. He also had to surrender his passport.
There will be a pretrial conference in June, with a trial date set for March 25, 2019.
Hefner did not speak as he left court, but his lawyer provided a short written statement to the press:
"Mr. Hefner Rosenberg has pled not guilty to the charges and looks forward to defending himself in a court of law where accusers cannot remain anonymous and must face cross-examination. Unfortunately, he has already been pilloried in the press for political purposes, having never had a trial."
Hefner, 30, was indicted by a grand jury last month.
Some of the incidents date back nearly five years. Prosecutor Jennifer Snook, who laid out the details of the alleged assaults in court, said that, in one case, the victim had to hide from his assailant.
"This man was only able to get away from Mr. Hefner by hiding in the bathroom for a period of time, and then leaving the apartment when his mutual friends arrived," she said.
In another, a man had photos of himself taken without clothes on.
"Person four never consented to these photos being taken or being shown to anyone," he said. "Investigators located four people to whom the defendant has shown these photos."
An independent investigation initiated by the State Senate continues, asking what then-president Rosenberg knew, and when he knew it.
Rosenberg stepped aside from his position as president soon after the allegations came to light, and has said he and Hefner are separated.
Veteran defense attorney Marsha Kazarosian told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 it will be interesting to see who will come out as a witness in the case.
"It makes it very difficult for people to come forward, whether it's in defense or to say this happened to me too, because you're talking about individuals who are, or many potential individuals who are in government or politics," she said.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports