Current Court Report - August 18, 2026

This Current Court Report includes arraignments and dispositions from the Monday and Tuesday Nantucket District Court sessions.

An 18-year-old island resident who was initially charged with statutory rape of a child after having sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of indecent assault & battery on a person over the age of 14 in Nantucket District Court Monday morning and will have the charge dismissed on the condition he completes two years of probation.

The man had an initial November 30^th, 2025 charge of rape of a child amended down to indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 during his colloquy. The man will have the charge continued without a finding for two years on the condition he complete his probation period without a violation, complete a mental health evaluation by September 17^th, stay at least five yards away from the alleged victim, and comply with any treatment/recommendations made by counselors.

According to the police report, the 15-year-old alleged victim told police that she and the 18-year-old defendant were in a “dating relationship” for several months. She said they engaged in sexual intercourse in her bedroom on November 30^th, but the individual being charged did not force her to do so.

According to Massachusetts Law (M.G.L. c. 265, § 23), anyone under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to have sexual intercourse. For example, it is against the law for two 15-year-olds to have sexual relations with one another, even if both willingly agree.

A restraining order was also put into place for one year between the alleged rapist and alleged victim. The man allegedly violated this restraining order after having a conversation with the alleged victim over the phone. He pleaded guilty to one charge of violating an abuse prevention order. He had one year of incarceration in the Barnstable House of Corrections suspended for two years on the condition he complete his probation without a violation.

Following the amendment of the initial rape charge, the 18 year old man will not be required to register as a sex offender as the charge does not meet the definition of a sexual offense involving a child or a sexually violent offense.

Cape & Island’s Assistant District Attorney Michael Preble told Judge James S. Sullivan the alleged victim and her parents have not spoken to prosecutors in “some time,” but doesn’t believe they were in agreement with the deal struck between the DA’s office and the defendant’s attorney – Harrison T. Barrow III.

"I will state that the victim and her family are not present. I can say that the Commonwealth has made extensive efforts to reach out to them," Preble said. "We've had multiple conversations in the past with both myself, victim witness advocates, as well as the parents of the victim. (We) also spoke with the victim as well, but we have not had contact with them in some time. They're not present in the courtroom. I can say that I don't believe the parents of the victim are in agreement with what the Commonwealth was proposing.”

Editor’s Note: The identity of the alleged rapist has been kept anonymous in the two stories on this incident not to protect him or downplay the seriousness of the charges, but instead to protect the alleged victim from being identified or exposed by this article, while also keeping the community informed as to what news is coming out of the courts.

In other Nantucket District Court news, Rafael Antonio Lopez Arita, 39, of Nantucket was arraigned Monday on August 13th charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court Tuesday for a pretrial hearing, where he reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

Arita will have the operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol charge continued without a finding for one year on the condition he complete his probation without a violation, forfeit his license for 45 days, and pay $600 in fees. The negligent operation of a motor vehicle and marked lanes violation charges stemming from the same incident were dismissed.

Jackeline Jessenia Galiano Blanco, 44, of Nantucket was arraigned on an August 15th charge of assault & battery on a family/household member. She had a not-guilty plea entered on her behalf and was ordered to return to court September 14th for a pretrial hearing.

Sebastian Gregory Camacho, 28, of Nantucket had May 27^th charges of disorderly conduct, assault & battery on ambulance personnel, assault & battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest dismissed at the request of prosecutors.

Anderson Diery Benitez Contreras, 22, of Florida will have a July 5th charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol continued without a finding for one year on the condition he complete a driver alcohol education program, forfeit his license for 45 days, and pay $600 in fees. Charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation stemming from the same incident were dismissed.

Oliver Chacon Landaverde, 29, of Nantucket, was arraigned on August 16th charges of reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to keep right for oncoming traffic, operating a motor vehicle without an inspection sticker, speeding, and failure to notify the RMV of a name/address change. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court September 14th for a pretrial hearing.

*All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty under a court of law*