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Article Launched: 7/21/2006 11:33 AM


Police: Illegal immigrant raped Billerica girl, 12

By MATT MURPHY, Sun Staff
Lowell Sun

BILLERICA -- A 24-year-old Brazilian man is being held at the Middlesex County jail in Cambridge, accused of raping a local 12-year-old girl, police said.

Paulo Jose Dos Santos was arrested last week by Billerica police, charged with two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Detective Sgt. Roy Frost said police acted quickly to arrest Dos Santos after a short investigation, fearing he might flee the country.

Police believe Dos Santos is in the United States illegally.

Frost said the man has been deported by Immigration and Naturalization Services before, and investigators think he may have sneaked back into the country through Mexico.

The INS put a detainer on the suspect in this most recent case, and he is being held on $500,000 cash bail while prosecutors wait for a grand jury indictment.

Frost said there is still an active investigation, but police believe Dos Santos twice raped the 12-year-old girl who was an acquaintance.

Though he had been living throughout the state of Massachusetts since returning from Brazil, his address is listed as 230 Washington St. in Marblehead.

Matt Murphy's e-mail address is mmurphy@lowellsun.com