Elderly Man in Court on Decades-Old Alleged Sexual Assault

Charles Leffler, an elderly Grafton man accused of statutory rape, appeared in Westborough District Court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing.

In January, Leffler, 82, of 14 Fay Mountain Rd., was arraigned in on four counts of statutory rape of a child. He was released on personal recognizance and ordered not to have contact with anyone under the age of 16.

The charges stem from a series of incidents that the victim said occurred at Leffler's horse farm where she took lessons and worked.

Court documents say the victim described a "grooming process" that "led to a number of incidents of indecent assault and battery as well as a number of incidents of statutory rape."

The judge continued the case and Leffler will appear in court again on March 29.