NORTHAMPTON — A Florence man facing nine felony counts for the alleged sexual abuse of a child was released on $5,000 bail after his arraignment in Northampton District Court on Friday.

Scott Duseau, 50, of Westhampton Road, denied three counts of rape of a child, five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and one count of enticing a child under 16. The alleged victim’s age is withheld from court records.

Duseau’s employment is listed as “Linda Manor supervisor” in court documents, and a handwritten note on his bail conditions sheet reads, “Works as a nurse in the local community.”

Available court records do not indicate any connection between the case and Duseau’s work at Linda Manor Extended Care Facility in Leeds. A COVID-19 update posted on Linda Manor’s website in August 2020 lists Scott Duseau, LPN, as the nursing home’s infection control coordinator.

Lisa Gaudet, a spokesperson for Linda Manor’s owner, Berkshire Healthcare, said the organization has no comment, but confirmed that the case is not related to Duseau’s job and he is “currently on an unpaid leave of absence.”

He was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim, have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, avoid staying overnight anywhere children are present and report to the court’s Probation Department regularly. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

According to a Northampton police report, the alleged victim disclosed “several incidents” of sexual abuse during an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County on Sept. 2. Police said he told investigators that one incident occurred on his birthday in November 2020 and another occurred as early as December 2019.

The alleged victim, known by the alias CV1, “indicated that he wanted to tell (his) mother after the first time,” according to the report. “Duseau told CV1 that if he told anyone, Duseau would go away with the police.”

Attorney David Mintz is representing Duseau. He said the child’s statements earlier this month were not the first time his client has heard the allegations and he has “maintained his denial” since he was first questioned about the case last year.

“He’s pleaded not guilty and that’s the position we’re taking. It’s an investigation that started in April 2021 and laid dormant, and a lot of time has passed, and the DA’s office gave new life to the investigation,” Mintz said. “Mr. Duseau denied these charges back in April 2021 and he denies these charges in September 2022. We’re going to let the court process unfold.”

Mintz said Duseau was arrested at Linda Manor last Wednesday.

“I was shocked that they arrested him at his workplace and very disappointed,” Mintz said, adding that the DA’s office had assured him that would not happen. “Mr. Duseau owns a home, he’s married, he’s worked and lived in this community for years and years, so those circumstances were beyond the pale, if you ask me. We intend to fight these charges vigorously.”

Northwestern district attorney’s office spokesperson Laurie Loisel said the time and place of an arrest is at the discretion of law enforcement.

“When suspects face charges such as rape of a child or other serious felonies, law enforcement make arrests at a time and place of their choosing based on the needs of the investigation and other factors,” Loisel said. “These locations sometimes include a suspect’s workplace. We always assume defendants will vigorously contest charges, as that is how our criminal justice system works.”

Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.]]>