Hopkinton Police Sergeant Timothy Brennan, an 18-year veteran of the department, testified against his former boss and Deputy Chief John “Jay” Porter earlier this year.
According to a source within the department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Brennan provided testimony to a Middlesex grand jury, who subsequently voted to indict Porter on three counts of felony rape of a child.
>> RELATED: Porter pleads Not Guilty to three counts of Child Rape
Porter was the Hopkinton School Resource Officer (SRO) from 1998 – 2005. According to the Middlesex District Attorney, during the time period of 2004 and 2005 he “became acquainted with one of the young female students at the school, someone who at the time was very vulnerable.” The DA alleges that Porter sexually assaulted her at least 3 times. The victim was reportedly 15 years old while Porter was 35 and married.
Brennan was hired by the police department in 2005, having served as a campus police officer at Bentley University. His first assignment in Hopkinton was to succeed Porter as the SRO. During his time as SRO, and for more than a decade after, Brennan led the R.A.D., or Rape Aggression Defense program at the high school, providing self defense training for women as young as 14.
According to the source, the victim disclosed the assaults to Brennan in 2018 – 13 years later – but asked him not to tell anyone. In Massachusetts, all police officers are Mandatory Reporters for contemporaneous offenses that involve minors, but because the victim was now an adult, and out of respect for her privacy, Brennan did not act. The source said Brennan repeatedly tried to convince the woman to come forward but she refused.
“By then she had kids and a life,” said the source.
(During Porter’s arraignment, Judge Michael Sullivan ordered exclusion zones placed around the alleged victim’s home and children’s school. Porter now wears a GPS tracking bracelet.)
In or around December 2021, the victim apparently changed her mind and filed a formal complaint against Porter. The Middlesex DA and the State police led the investigation, and several months passed with Porter still on active duty. Then on August 27, 2022, shortly after he was commended for 30 years of service, Porter was placed on administrative leave. On April 28, 2023 he was indicted and resigned from the department.
Two weeks later Brennan was placed on administrative leave.
When asked for an official statement, Chief Joseph Bennett replied “The town does not comment on most personnel matters”. Repeated calls and emails to Sergeant Brennan have also gone unanswered, who reportedly remains suspended pending an internal investigation.
