How A Marblehead Man Accused Of Sex Abuse Was Freed On Bail

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The release of a hockey coach from Marblehead as he awaits trial for sexually abusing eight boys brought outrage and renewed calls for legislative reform Thursday. At the forefront, Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett has been warning that a gap in state law would allow people Christopher Prew, 33, to go free as they await trial, even if they are deemed dangerous by a judge.

But Salem Superior Court Judge Thomas Drechsle was powerless to order Prew held when he renewed his request for bail Thursday, even though he and a district court judge had previously ruled Prew was dangerous and could be held without bail. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has twice ruled that state law does not allow people accused of crimes to be held without bail if those crimes do not involve overt physical force. Drechsle released Prew on $15,000 and with a lengthy list of conditions, including GPS ankle bracelet monitoring.

Blodgett has long been warning that the SJC decisions were inevitable, and that the state legislature needs to step in to fix what he sees as a loophole in state law. Gov. Charlie Baker has filed two bills aimed at doing just that. That bill, which has been in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary since January, would add sex offenses involving children to the list of crimes in which a person can be held without bail.

"The law must be changed so that we may protect [children] from predators," Blodgett said after Prew's bail hearing Thursday. "I am asking the Legislature, again, to enact Governor Baker's re-file, 'An Act to Protect the Commonwealth from Dangerous Persons,' immediately to close this gap in the law."

A status hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 9. His trial is scheduled to open on May 4.

Prew is accused of molesting nine boys in two counties and orally raping one of the victims. He is also accused of molesting a boy in Vermont and, as a condition of his release, will have to surrender on that warrant.

Prew was arrested two years ago and, until Thursday, had spent most of that time in custody, awaiting trial. Prew's mother has been accused of sending a threatening message to the mother of one his victims. Louise Martino, 55, of Winthrop changed her plea to guilty on one count of intimidation of a witness in September.

Dave Copeland covers Marblehead and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).