LOWELL TEACHER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO RAPE

July 29, 1988


CAMBRIDGE -- A Lowell teacher sought by police, indicted earlier this week in the rape of a 16-year-old girl, turned himself in yesterday.

He pleaded not guilty in Lowell District Court to charges of rape, indecent assault and battery, furnishing alcohol to a minor, and drugging for sexual intercourse.Robert Gilbride, 32, of Lowell, surrendered at the District Court with his attorney, Edward Moloney, who told Judge Joseph A. Grasso Jr. that Gilbride had been staying at his parents' house.

According to Thomas Samoluk, a spokesman for Middlesex District Attorney Scott Harshbarger, Gilbride allegedly had a party at his house May 6 and invited between 12 to 15 high school students, some of whom he served liquor to.

The girl, a student at Lowell High School, was allegedly attacked when she remained behind after the others had left the party, Samoluk said. Gilbride is a teacher at the school, but the girl was not one of his students, Samoluk said.

Assistant District Attorney David Linsky had asked Grasso to hold Gilbride on $10,000 surety bail, or $1,000 cash, but Grasso released him on personal recognizance and postponed the case to Sept. 7. However, Samoluk said Linsky expects to arraign Gilbride before that on grand jury indictments.

District Court charges, brought by police, are usually dismissed once a grand jury has indicted a suspect and he or she has been arraigned in Superior Court.

Samoluk said he did not know when Gilbride would be arraigned because Judge Robert A. Barton, who handles criminal matters in the Lowell Superior Court, had hip surgery Wednesday and is not expected to return to the bench for several weeks.

Copyright 1988, 1998 Globe Newspaper Company