Policeman put on unpaid leave after woman’s allegations
By Matthew Bruun TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
FITCHBURG— A city police officer was charged with rape Thursday and has been placed on unpaid leave.
Police Officer Robert Soroka, 28, was arraigned Thursday in Fitchburg District Court and released after posting $500 cash bail. He was arrested earlier Thursday by Fitchburg police, Chief Robert A. DeMoura said yesterday.
The offense is alleged to have occurred Wednesday night, the chief said. The alleged victim is a 28-year-old woman who was acquainted with Officer Soroka, according to police.
Officer Soroka was one of six members of the department slated to be laid off next week amid budget cuts. Six patrolmen are being laid off at the start of the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Tuesday.
No court records on the rape case were available yesterday in Fitchburg District Court. The case is being transferred to another jurisdiction, Assistant District Attorney Joseph A. Quinlan said yesterday.
“As soon as we heard the allegations, we investigated — as we would do with any crime,” Chief DeMoura said yesterday. “This time it was a police officer.”
He said it was a difficult situation for the department, but praised his officers for their professionalism.
“The good thing is, the department is moving forward,” Chief DeMoura said. “This is an isolated incident.”
Officer Soroka was appointed to the force Sept. 11, 2006, and most recently had been working as a dispatcher, Chief DeMoura said. The department’s civilian dispatchers were laid off last year because of budget woes.
Officer Soroka, who is married, was born and raised in Worcester and enlisted in the Army Reserve, first as a military police officer and later as a protective service agent, police said when he was sworn in Feb. 14, 2007.
He served eight years with the Army Reserve and was called to active duty numerous times, including to Bosnia in 1998 and the Persian Gulf region in 2003.
Yesterday afternoon, Edward P. Ryan Jr., a Fitchburg lawyer representing Officer Soroka, said a plea of not guilty was entered in the case.
“He’s not guilty,” Mr. Ryan said. “We fully expect, at the end of the day, that he will be exonerated of these charges. In our view, these charges are completely false.”
“He is an outstanding police officer,” he said.
Mr. Ryan pointed out Officer’s Soroka’s military record, noting it included 11 months of combat duty in Iraq.
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