Woburn Man Arraigned on Child Rape Charges

A former Woburn Boys and Girls Club employee was arraigned on Thursday in connection with child abuse charges dating back to 2000, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo Jr.

Christopher Elwell, 33, of Woburn, was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on charges of rape of a child (three counts), indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, and posing a child in a state of nudity.

Woburn Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Matthew Day set bail at $2,500 with conditions that the defendant stay away and have no contact with the victim; stay away from the Woburn Boys and Girls Club; have no unsupervised contact with children under age 16, including not to live with any child under age 16 except his biological child; and not engage in employment or volunteer work with children under age 16.

Elwell’s next court is on July 30 for a pretrial hearing.

According to the Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office: 

“The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, working with the Woburn Police Department and the current management of the Club, launched an investigation into the allegations in late 2012. During that investigation, authorities allegedly learned that in the Fall of 1999, the defendant, then employed as the Junior Director of Physical Education, first met the victim, then a 12-year-old member of the club. It is alleged that soon thereafter the defendant began to meet privately with the victim, and initiated conversations with her about sex. Subsequently, it is alleged that he then began to communicate with her outside of the club, often about sexual matters. 

“Over the next three years, through the Fall of 2003, the defendant allegedly instructed the victim to engage in an inappropriate sexual relationship with him, both at the club and at the defendant’s home.

“It is alleged that during this time period the defendant showed the victim pornography, as well as videos of himself without clothing and encouraged her to take pictures of herself without clothing for him."