Jury finds Watertown police officer not guilty of 2021 rape

A jury found a Watertown officer not guilty of charges he sexually assaulted a woman three years ago, but he remains on administrative leave pending the police department's review.

Kevin Rooney was indicted on two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault in 2022. A Middlesex Superior Court jury cleared him of charges on Tuesday, a day after closing arguments.

Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan said Rooney remains on unpaid leave while the department conducts an investigation into whether he violated any rules.

"The internal affairs investigation has just begun, and it will take some time," Hanrahan said. "He will remain on admin leave pending the outcome of the investigation."

The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which licenses police officers, suspended his certification in December 2022 after he was indicted. The commission said the suspension had yet to be lifted as of Thursday.

Attempts to reach Rooney's attorney were unsuccessful.

In court records, prosecutors said a woman had drinks with friends at a South Boston restaurant before blacking out in June 2021. The woman told investigators she later woke up next to a stranger who told her he was an off-duty Watertown police officer, and they had "hooked up." She later returned home and called police.

DNA evidence collected from a rape kit appeared to match with Rooney, prosecutors said in court records.