Professor accused of raping student faces new charges

Bridgewater State University professor Nicholas Pirelli, who was charged last week with raping a student, was rearrested Thursday for more suspected sex crimes involving at least two other students 

A communications professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts who was arrested last week on suspicion of raping a female student was back in jail on Tuesday night, this time after two more students came forward with accusations. 

Nicholas Pirelli, 36, was taken into custody by the BSU Police on a warrant charging him with trafficking of a person for sexual servitude, distributing obscene matter, sexual conduct for a fee and criminal harassment.

Pirelli was arraigned on the new charges on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. 

Bridgewater State Police Chief David Tillinghast told the Enterprise News that after news of Pirelli’s arrest last week spread on campus, as many as five women have come forward raising concerns about the professor’s actions. 

Two of the women’s accounts in particular sparked investigations and led to the new charges being filed against him. 

According to court records, one student at BSU said she joined the ‘sugar daddy’ website seeking.com to earn money by talking to men, or sending them photos of herself, but said she had no intention of meeting any of them in person. 

All three accusers are students at Bridgewater State University, where Pirelli teacher communications 

But earlier this year, she was contacted by a man named ‘Nick,’ later identified as Pirelli, who allegedly tried to compel her to get together.  

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth O’Connell said on Wednesday at Pirelli’s arraignment that what started as ‘casual talk’ eventually escalated to highly sexually-charged exchanges, with Pirelli allegedly expressing a desire to be dominated by a woman, reported the Boston Globe. 

At one point, the educator allegedly confided in the student that he has a vast collection of sex toys and offered to pay her for sex, according to the documents. 

Pirelli is also quoted as writing to the student: ‘When a woman is dominant, I want her to tie me down, choke me, and feel strong enough to put me in chastity if she wants to. I want her to feel like she owns every part of my body and can do whatever she wants to it.’

The alleged victim told police she repeatedly rejected Pirelli’s offers of sex for money, even though the professor electronically sent a total of more than $300 to her Venmo account between January and late February.

On February 16, according to the court filing, Pirelli texted the student asking if she had ever had anal sex. She had replied that she had not, and Pirelli offered to ‘ease her into it.’ He then allegedly offered the woman $200 if she had dinner with him and used a sex toy on him during the meal. 

The woman told police she was shocked by the proposal and began limiting her interactions with Pirelli, who on one occasion allegedly sent her an unsolicited photo of his erect penis.  

Two of the accusers, including the woman who claimed that Pirelli raped her in October, had met the educator on the ‘sugar daddy’ website seeking.com

‘It is clear that Pirelli attempted to recruit [the woman] as his own personal prostitute by enticing her with the promise of money in exchange for sexual acts,’ the filing alleges. 

The criminal harassment charge against Pirelli stems from the account of another student of his, who accused him of sending more than $150 to her Venmo account unprompted, following her on social media, sending her unsolicited emails and seeking her out in the student lunch room. 

The student said when she found out through her friend that Pirelli was the other woman’s ‘sugar daddy,’ she ‘felt a pit in her stomach.’

The student told police she repeatedly told Pirelli to stop contacting her, but he continued sending her emails.

A judge set Pirelli’s new bail at $6,000 and ordered him to wear a GPS device and stay away from the BSU campus. 

Pirelli was initially arrested on March 4 and charged with rape, indecent assault and battery on a person older than 14 stemming from an incident that allegedly took place on October 20, 2019.

The alleged victim in that case is a student at Bridgewater State University but is not enrolled in any of Pirelli’s classes. 

According to court documents, Pirelli and the woman connected via the website seeking.com, Enterprise News reports. The site aims to match ‘sugar babies’ with sugar daddies,’ with Pirelli allegedly telling the student he planned to ‘spoil’ her. 

The student told police she sent photos and videos to Pirelli, with some showing her in the nude and undressing. Pirelly allegedly told the student that they would need to be ‘discreet’ after learning that she attended the university.

Pirelli is said to have sought someone who would dominate him with whips and chains. He sent the student photos of himself after she sent hers. 

The educator and the woman began talking through text applications and he would send her money on various occasions using Venmo.

They then met in person, agreeing to meet at a Dunkin’Donuts in West Bridgewater to ‘see if they had a good connection in person.’ Pirelli sent the woman $20 on Venmo to get to the location.

Court documents reveal that Pirelli offered to help her with an essay she was working on to secure an on-campus job, telling the student to come to his office. Prior to her arrival, Pirelli reportedly sent her $50 to go shopping.

It was then that the woman claims Pirelli raped her, according to court documents. She claimed that the pair only worked on the essay for about 30 minutes before he locked the door to his office and began forcibly kissing her.

BSU shared that the educator was placed on paid leave as soon as they learned of the accusations

She told police that Pirelli then performed forcible anal oral sex on her. 

The woman said that she continued communicating with Pirelli after the alleged attack in an effort ‘to let him down easy’ as she grew worried about her standing as a student and ability to get the on campus job. 

She reported the incident to Bridgewater State University police on March 3.

While being interviewed by police, Pirelli is said to have made misleading statements and made it so that he could not be credible. 

Pirelli was released from jail last week after posting $2,500 bail. 

BSU shared that the educator was placed on paid leave as soon as they learned of the accusations. 

‘He has been placed on administrative leave with pay,’ a university spokesman said. ‘He has been asked not to come to campus without permission from the university.’

A statement from the school also said: ‘Bridgewater State has zero tolerance for misconduct, abuse or violence against any members of our campus community and is committed to preventing and holding accountable anyone responsible for acts of physical and sexual assault. We are working closely with the district attorney’s office in their prosecution of this alleged crime.’ 

Pirelli is due back in court on April 30.    

 

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