Natick cop pleads guilty to inappropriately touching dispatcher in incident initially kept secret

A Natick police officer accused of sexually assaulting and harassing a dispatcher in 2020 pleaded guilty on Monday to three counts of indecent assault and battery.

Superior Court Judge Kenneth Salinger sentenced Officer James Quilty to three years probation and ordered him to register as a sex offender and stay away from the victim, according to a joint statement from the Middlesex District Attorney's office and Natick police.

Natick has fought for more than two years to keep most of the details of the case secret, as reported by WBUR in October. WBUR is suing the town for several documents in the case, including a copy of its investigative report and a discrimination complaint filed by the victim.

Natick's select board scheduled a closed meeting for Thursday to discuss Quilty's employment status. He is currently on unpaid administrative leave.

"I am glad that we were able to coordinate the calendars of all five members of the Select Board almost immediately to convene for this important executive session and also glad that the town has been careful to retain its right to issue future discipline throughout this matter," Select Board Chair Paul Joseph. He added that the documents in question are undergoing legal review and will be released "once redacted."

Prosecutors previously told the court that Natick police initially shrugged off the allegations. Quilty wasn't indicted on criminal charges until December 2021, a year and a half after the assault — and only after both WBUR and a blogger requested information about the incident.

Natick also signed a "last chance" agreement last year to keep Quilty on the force after a suspension. But that pact gave the town the right to seek further disciplinary information if Quilty later faced criminal charges, which he did.

Quilty's attorney previously told a judge that Quilty mistakenly thought his interactions with the dispatcher were consensual. The lawyer declined comment on Tuesday morning.

Natick issued a statement in November, following the WBUR story, saying it condemned both sexual harassment and sexual assault and was making an "earnest attempt to balance transparent communications and the realities of legal due process."