A Boston deputy fire chief charged with impersonating a cop and raping a woman at gunpoint in Brockton was busted in the same city for picking up a prostitute 12 years ago, the Herald has learned.
Boston Fire Deputy Chief Peter Pearson, who was arraigned on a host of charges this morning in Brockton District Court, was arrested there for sex-for-a-fee in 1996, a source told the Herald this morning.
The case was continued without a finding in December of 1996, the source said.
Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Shelby Smith confirmed the past arrest during Pearson's arraignment this morning, arguing it should be considered when deciding his bail.
Pearson, 51, of East Bridgewater, the Division 2 deputy chief and a 23-year veteran of the department, was arraigned on charges of armed kidnapping, rape and impersonating a police officer for an incident in June after the alleged victim identified him Monday night as her assailant.
Brockton police yesterday said the alleged victim, a 37-year-old woman known to police, was being held on a charge of being a common nightwalker when she recounted the alleged rape on July 1, several weeks after she claimed it occurred.
Pearson, dressed in a suit and accompanied in court by his wife of 30 years, was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail by Judge Mary White.
Smith, who had pressed for $250,000 bail, said Pearson also defaulted on a court case 22 years ago, but did not elaborate on the nature of the case.
Defense Attorney Kate Barnes argued that Pearson is a model citizen who worked his way up the ranks of the Boston Fire Department and also works at the Boston Harbor Hotel as a security officer.
"These are serious charges," she said. "These are quite simply allegations my client denies."
After the arraignment, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said the charges are indeed serious.
"People that are out there that are pretending to be something that they're not really pose a threat to our society," Cruz said.
Boston Fire spokesman Steve MacDonald said the department was unaware of Pearson's 1996 arrest. Pearson also had no history of disciplinary problems with the department, he said.
Katy Jordan contributed to this report.
Republished with permission from The Boston Herald
