WESTFIELD — A city man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old friend of his daughter was arraigned Friday in Westfield District Court on a charge of indecent assault and battery and released pending further action.
Detective Sgt. Seth Florek reported in a court document that the 15-year-old victim had been a guest at a friend’s birthday sleepover when she was awakened before dawn by her friend’s father, Nicholas E. Kelso, 32, of 50 Loomis Ave., while she was sleeping in the basement with her friends.
The victim told police that the defendant “lured the victim away from her friends to a workshop area in the basement. He asked her “if she had ever had a real man pleasure her” and called her “beautiful,” “cute” and “a dirty girl.”
The girl said she was “creeped out” but the man “advanced on her, grabbed her and pulled her body into his. He was rubbing her leg” until the girl was able to push him off and return to the sleeping area, Florek reported. Kelso followed her, she said, and apologized for touching her but did not leave the basement.
The victim said that she tried to sleep but saw that the man, who she said was intoxicated, “appeared to hide waiting for the victim to fall asleep,” making her “scared she would be touched again, or worse, while she slept.”
The victim then called her parents who called Westfield Police at 5:53 a.m. Officer Thomas Pepek arrived 10 minutes later to initiate an investigation, which was subsequently referred to the Detective Bureau.
Florek reported that “the suspect has refused to provide a statement, interview, and will not cooperate with the investigation.”
Arraigned on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a victim 14 year-of-age or older before Judge Charles Groce in Westfield District Court, Kelso was released on his personal recognizance pending a Dec. 2 pretrial hearing, but was ordered to stay away from the victim.
If convicted in district court, Kelso could face as much as a two-and-a-half-year term in the house of correction and would have to register as a sex offender upon his release.
