Man arrested in North End sex assault also faces similar charges in other cases, officials say

BOSTON — A Boston man arrested and charged for a recent North End sex assault case has also faced charges in other similar cases.

Authorities say 34 year old Cornelius Williams is the man seen in surveillance images Boston Police released last weekend to try to identify a suspect in a North End sex assault case last Friday.

At his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court, Cornelius Williams was allowed to stand in a hallway, hidden out of sight of our courtroom camera.

The incident allegedly happened inside the victim’s Margaret Street apartment building.

A prosecutor said Williams followed the victim and then assaulted her inside her own building.

“He did follow her into the vestibule of her apartment building,” prosecutor Amanda Corin told the court. “He grabbed her leg where he proceeded to start licking her feet. He did also attempt to pull her dress off. He was unsuccessful.”

At the time of the North End assault, Williams was free on bail, charged with an indecent assault and battery in Boston’s Downtown Crossing in February.

According to a police report, a the victim told officers that the suspect grabbed her and described sex acts he wanted to perform on her.

Also, the prosecutor told the court about another sex assault in Chelsea in 2020.

“The defendant did successfully follow another female down the street,” prosecutor Corin said. “He did pull her to the ground where he proceeded to take off her shoes and lick her feet.”

Records show Williams was found incompetent to stand trial in the Chelsea case.

Back to the arraignment in the North End case, defense attorney Robert Glotzer told the judge Williams is hearing voices, and that he has received mental health treatment.

For now, Williams is held without bail.

A new mental health evaluation is ordered.

He will be back in court for a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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