Lawrence man charged with sexually assaulting woman

Dave Rogers, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·3 min read

Jun. 23—AMESBURY — A Lawrence man charged with sexually assaulting a local woman Sunday was ordered held on $1,500 cash bail following his arraignment Monday in Newburyport District Court.

Selvin Agustin, 24, of Oxford Street faces two counts of indecent assault and battery of a person over 14, assault and battery, and two motor vehicle-related offenses. If Agustin posts bail, he must wear a GPS tracking unit, stay out of Amesbury, and have no contact with the woman.

He is due back in court July 20 for a pretrial hearing.

At Agustin's arraignment, Essex County prosecutor Shailagh Kennedy asked for $2,500 cash bail, saying he uses multiple names and different birth dates. He also was cited in 2015 for illegally entering the U.S. and was charged with domestic violence in Lawrence in 2019. That charge was eventually dismissed, according to Kennedy.

Agustin's attorney, Wendy Spillane, said her client's construction job barely paid enough to care for his family and that a high cash bail would be the equivalent of no bail. She asked that bail be set at $150.

An Amesbury police report says the 20-year-old victim was walking on Haverhill Street in Lawrence late Saturday when Agustin pulled over and offered her a ride. She accepted the ride and got in to see a toddler in the back seat.

Agustin first dropped off the baby at his home and then began heading toward Amesbury. While on the highway, Agustin pulled over several times to ask her to kiss him. He also "forced his hand down her pants and grabbed her breast," Officer Teagan Davis wrote in her report.

The woman told another officer that she kissed Agustin on the lips several times because she was afraid he would leave her on the side of the highway, Davis added.

Once in Amesbury, Agustin pulled over to use a portable toilet but held on to her purse to keep her from leaving. Once he got back in the car, she grabbed her purse and tried to get out.

"She stated Selvin then grabbed her by the shirt in an attempt to keep her from exiting the car. She said she was able to escape his grip, at which point he grabbed her by the hair. She said she was again able to free herself and exited the vehicle. She looked at the license plate on the vehicle and then went into her house and called 911," Davis wrote in her report.

Amesbury police Officer Neil Moody was able to track down Agustin and brought him to the Amesbury police station for questioning. During the interview, Agustin told police he saw the woman walking in Lawrence and offered her a ride because the "streets of Lawrence are bad and he was concerned for her safety," Davis wrote in her report.

Agustin denied kissing, touching or grabbing the woman, Davis added.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

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