Saugus teen charged in sex assault pleads not guilty

LYNN – A Saugus teen was ordered held pending trial on charges he and two co-defendants kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in an alleged incident that police said was captured and distributed via mobile phone.”He turned himself in to answer for the charges,” defense attorney David Newton said outside Lynn District Court Monday. “He is innocent until proven guilty and he professes his innocence.”Rashad Deihim, 19, of Saugus, pleaded not guilty in Lynn District Court Monday to charges of assault with intent to rape; kidnapping; indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or older; and posing or exhibiting a child in a sexual act.Deihim was sought in connection with a Sept. 3 incident in which he and two co-defendants allegedly recorded the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. Videos were then distributed via the mobile phone application Snapchat, police said.Police reported finding the alleged victim half-naked, under the influence and alone in the woods behind the Waybright Elementary School in Saugus. She was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors confirmed a sexual assault had occurred, according to court documents.Kailyn Bonia, 18, of Saugus, remains held without bail following her Sept. 12 arraignment on the same charges as Deihim.A 17-year-old male co-defendant was arraigned in Lynn Juvenile Court on the same day on charges of assault to rape, joint venture; indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, joint venture; posing a child for sexual photographs; dissemination of child pornography; and kidnapping, according to a representative from Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.Deihim surrendered to Newburyport Police on Saturday.Essex Assistant District Attorney Erin Bellavia requested that Deihim be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing and that Deihim’s bail on a previous case be revoked. Bellavia said the video shows Bonia wrapping her arm around the alleged victim’s neck as if choking her and that the alleged victim tries to fight off her assailants. The alleged victim tries to run away at one point, but is too impaired and her assailants drag her back, Bellavia said.Newton said his client stipulated to being found a danger and to his bail being revoked, meaning that Deihim would be held without bail pending trial.Court documents also show that a witness who was sent the alleged videos immediately alerted her parents and was able to learn where the videos were being taken.”She stated that she realized she needed to do something to assist the female in the videos so she called (a defendant) and questioned him about the videos,” Saugus Police Det. Stacey Forni reported. “She stated (a defendant) could be heard laughing during the videos and when she talked to him he acted like it was no big deal. (The witness) stated that she asked (him) where he was and he stated, ?Waybright,’ but then he realized he gave up where they were and panicked.”Police were alerted and responded to the scene.The alleged victim later thanked the teen for “saving her life,” believing she would have died if police had not found her, according to Forni’s report.Judge James Wexler ordered Deihim held without bail and revoked Deihim’s bail on an Aug. 6 assault case in which the defendant allegedly dragged a woman with his car. Deihim had been held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing after pleading not guilty to a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in that alleged incident. Judge Albert Conlon found Deihim not to be a danger on Aug. 8, however, and released the defendant on personal recognizance and a no-abuse order.Deihim’s parents attended the arraignment Monday but did not comment beyond saying they were there to support their son.Deihim is scheduled to return to court Oct. 16.