Lynn man charged with rape of woman in April

LYNN – Lynn Police arrested a Lynn man early Saturday morning and charged him with the rape of an unidentified adult woman at his home in April.Assistant District Attorney Lisa Core alleged during a District Court hearing that Bernard Llano, 23, of 551 Essex St. #2, raped an unidentified woman who was visiting his home on April 15.. The victim first reported the rape on April 16, Core told the judge, after she attended a gathering at Llano?s house with a man she had just met and was beginning a relationship with.?She told police she either fell asleep or passed out around 2 a.m.,” Core told the judge. “When she woke up there was a naked, dark-skinned male on top of her.”Core said the woman told police her clothes had been removed and her bra turned inside out. She began yelling at the man to get off herThe woman was able to provide a description of the man to police as well as a description of a vehicle she associated with him. The woman also positively identified Llano as the assailant from a Facebook photo provided by Lynn Police, Core said. The woman “was not 100 percent certain” when she was first shown a photograph of Llano, Core said, but told police his “smile and facial expression seemed familiar.”?Preliminary lab reports show positive evidence of sexual intercourse on the female,” Core said. She noted that the woman did report Llano wore a condom during the rape.Defense attorney Alicia Andrews argued for $2,500 bail, noting that the case is based solely on the alleged victim?s identification of Llano as the suspect, and that two months have passed since the incident occurred. She also said the allegations that Llano used a condom while raping her “lends itself to the defense of consent.”Core told the judge Llano did not answer the door when Lynn Police showed up to arrest him around 7:35 a.m. Saturday, and that they were “met with resistance” by Llano?s girlfriend when they did gain entry. Llano allegedly attempted to flee the home through a back door, but ran into a police officer who subsequently took him into custody, Core said.Core requested $50,000 cash bail at the hearing and filed a motion to impound any information about the victim. Judge James LaMothe granted the motion, but set Llano?s bail at $10,000 cash, citing the potential long-term incarceration Llano faces if convicted, as well as the circumstances of the charge.Llano is due to appear in court for a probable cause hearing on July 16.Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].