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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A former Boston Public Schools middle school teacher pleaded guilty Monday to sexually abusing a child over a period of several years.
David Lockwood is a former teacher at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury and worked at the school during the time of the assaults. He pleaded guilty to four counts of rape of a child and was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of probation.
Suffolk County prosecutors indicted Lockwood back in 2017 after his victim came forward as an adult. Lockwood was the victim's teacher when she was in middle school and he used to drive her to different locations, including school-sponsored events. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said the abuse began during one of those drives in 1996 when the victim was only 12 years old.
“This individual used his position of trust and authority to gain access to his victim and to maintain an unequal power dynamic that kept her silent and under his control," District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. "These are the actions of a predator. That the victim continued to endure his abuse past the age of 16 speaks to the level of manipulation and control this individual exerted."
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Lockwood was only charged with abuse that happened from 1996 to 2000 because the victim turned 16 years old in 2000, even though abuse continued beyond the victim's 16th birthday. Sixteen is the legal age of consent in Massachusetts.
As a part of his sentencing, Lockwood is not allowed to be employed as a teacher and must stay away from and not contact the victim during his probation. He is also barred from having unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 18, excluding his own child, and must participate in sex offender treatment. Lockwood is also required to register as a sex offender.
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