Man facing child porn charges resigns from Mass. Democratic State Committee

An 80-year-old Methuen man who was arraigned in Essex Superior Court last week on charges of child rape and indecent assault has reportedly resigned from the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. 

Robert LeBlanc, a longtime member of the state committee who also served at one time as its deputy legal counsel, is facing charges of rape of a child; indecent assault and battery on a child under 14; two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older; and attempt to commit crime – indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older. 

LeBlanc pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment in Salem on April 2. He has since resigned from the Democratic committee at the request of party chairman Steve Kerrigan, state party spokesperson Matthew Wilder told The Boston Globe. 

Wilder told the newspaper LeBlanc joined in 2002 and served as a volunteer attorney for the committee in 2006. 

“He hasn’t been an active member,” Wilder told the Globe. “He hasn’t been involved much for many years.”

According to The Eagle-Tribune, LeBlanc previously was accused of stalking and inappropriate behavior. He was reportedly banned from the campus of Greater Lawrence Technical School in 2005 after he allegedly followed and propositioned a student. 

During his arraignment last week, LeBlanc was ordered to stay away from and have no contact with any victim or witness in the case and have no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18. He will return to court for a pretrial hearing on May 20.