Two Massachusetts women say they found a stranger on their couch with his pants unbuckled, and police say he told one he wanted to talk

A 26-year-old man from Stoughton is facing a series of criminal charges after a string of incidents in downtown Winthrop, Massachusetts. Kervens Boutin was arraigned in East Boston District Court, where he remained out of sight during the proceedings, according to CBS News. Boutin faces charges including indecent assault, breaking and entering, disorderly conduct, endangering a child, and resisting arrest.

The case began when a woman and her child visited the police station to report an encounter near the Wadsworth Building on Winthrop Street. The woman told authorities that a man had attempted to pull down her pants while making sexually explicit comments. Boutin is also accused of attempting to touch a nine-year-old girl inappropriately. Responding officers quickly located a suspect who matched the woman’s description.

However, the man fled on foot when police attempted to make an arrest. Officers ultimately had to deploy a Taser to stop him, as he allegedly resisted the arrest. Three officers suffered minor injuries during the arrest, with one being transported to the hospital. Police also sent the suspect to the hospital for treatment. Since the arrest, additional women have come forward with reports of similar behavior, police said.

More women came forward once police had him in custody

One woman stated that a man wearing a red jacket and jeans ran past her and slapped her buttocks while she was waiting for the bus. Police said the man she described matched the suspect’s description. Another alleged incident occurred shortly before the reported assault on Winthrop Street. Two women said they found the man sitting on a couch inside their apartment with his pants unbuckled, and building maintenance removed him from the premises.

Clinical psychiatrist Dr. Kerri Kane testified in court about the suspect’s mental state. Dr. Kane said Boutin was demonstrating symptoms of psychosis, as he gave unrelated answers to questions and voiced apparent paranoid delusions about the case. She mentioned that Boutin had been hospitalized for two weeks in 2020 when his family grew concerned that he was suffering from psychosis.

The court has ordered Boutin to undergo a 20-day mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital, which will be followed by a bail hearing. Prosecutors had initially requested $15,000 cash bail, an amount that frustrated friends of the victims given that one of the alleged assaults involved a nine-year-old. “Does that seem fair to anybody else here?” a friend of one of the victims asked reporters outside the courthouse.

Police said surveillance footage was key to the investigation. Boutin is expected back in court on Oct. 20 following the evaluation, and he has not been convicted of any of the charges.