ATTLEBORO — The girlfriend of a former city man facing child rape charges and her stepson have been arraigned on charges of offering money to the alleged victim so she would not testify at trial.
Meredith L. O’Brien, 41, of 19 Black Oak Drive, Attleboro, and her stepson, Jason O’Brien, 24, of Cumberland, are accused of offering the alleged victim, now 21, between $10,000 and $50,000, according to court records.
They pleaded innocent last week in Attleboro District Court and are free without having to post bail.
They face charges of aggravated intimidation of a witness and attempting to suborn perjury, according to court records.
Meredith O’Brien is the girlfriend of Timothy J. Slowey, 42, now of East Providence, who is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a girl over the course of three years starting when she was 13, according to court records and prosecutors.
Her lawyer did not respond to a telephone call and an email from The Sun Chronicle requesting comment. Jason O’Brien’s lawyer, James Caramanica of Attleboro, declined to comment.
Slowey, who denies raping the girl, faces rape and indecent assault charges in Fall River Superior Court.
He was free on bail until his arrest three weeks ago for allegedly participating in the plot to influence his accuser from testifying.
Slowey has pleaded innocent to related charges and is now being held without bail after a superior court judge revoked his bail on May 1, according to court records.
A prosecutor said the suspects were traced through Snap Chat, Instagram and cellphone records obtained by police in addition to statements from witnesses.
Slowey’s lawyer, Greg Johnson of Boston, said there is no evidence linking his client’s phone messages to the woman and that Slowey has been falsely accused of rape.
Johnson has said his client’s accuser has moved to Hawaii and is not cooperating with prosecutors. But the woman told The Sun Chronicle that she is cooperating and is in contact with the Bristol County district attorney’s office.
The Sun Chronicle has a policy of not identifying victims of alleged sexual abuse.
No trial date has been set in the rape case.
David Linton may be reached at 508-236-0338.
