Police arrest trio in sex assaults
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Published: February 3, 2010
Times Argus Staff
BARRE - The Washington County Special Investigations Unit announced arrests in three different cases Monday, including a case in which two out-of-state-residents allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted three people in Williamstown more than a year ago.
In that case, David Ray Grady, 19, of Springfield, Mo., and 18-year-old Brittney Murphy, of Charlestown, N.H. are facing charges of sexual assault and are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Vermont District Court in Chelsea. The suspects' alleged victims were females aged 15, 16 and 17.
Police said in a news release that on Jan. 5, 2009 Grady and Murphy gave alcohol and prescription drugs to the 15-year-old female — which made her incapable of giving consent — and then engaged in sexual contact with her.
As the investigation continued, police learned that on Jan. 7, 2009 Grady and Murphy gave alcohol and prescription drugs to the 16-year-old and the 17-year-old females, making them incapable of giving consent, according to a police. Grady and Murphy then engaged in sexual contact with the two females, police said.
Another case the special investigations unit announced this week also involved sexual crimes, police said.
In that case, 20-year-old Kyle Ashford, of Topsham, is accused of forcing a 17-year-old female to have sexual intercourse with him last fall at an East Orange location.
The third case police announced was a domestic abuse case in which 40-year-old Robert Beattie, of Williamstown, is accused of abusing children who are 4 and 8 years old. The incidents of abuse allegedly occurred in 2008 and 2009, police said.
Both Ashford and Beattie are scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 17 in Vermont District Court in Chelsea, police said.
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