Florida Man Charged With Raping Employee Aboard His Yacht In Nantucket Harbor
David Creed •
A Florida man was arraigned and held on $50,000 cash bail late Friday afternoon on charges that he raped and sexually assaulted a 22-year-old employee aboard his yacht moored in Nantucket Harbor.
Christian Bradley Williams, 54, was arraigned last Friday on charges of rape (three counts) and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 stemming from an alleged incident that took place on August 9th. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf, and Williams is currently being held in custody on the $50,000 cash bail, or $500,000 surety. His attorney, Tom Kokonowski, said during Tuesday's District Court session that he expects his client to post the bail at some point and that it was being brought to the island by his wife.
According to the police report obtained by the Current, the victim is a woman who moved to Nantucket in June to start a job with the Nantucket Launch Company. The company's owner, Max Shapiro, set her up with housing aboard Williams' vessel, named Chimera, out of Coral Gables, Florida, which was moored in Nantucket Harbor starting on June 25, according to the report.
The alleged victim in the case told police she worked as a deckhand on Chimera - running the generator, doing laundry, and retrieving water - in compensation for housing aboard the vessel. Williams owns the yacht and lived on it in Nantucket Harbor with his wife, son, and the son’s 19-year-old nanny during the summer. On August 9th, Williams' wife, nanny, and 2-year-old son left for Florida to bring the child to preschool, while Williams planned to stay in Nantucket through September 15th.
The victim told police that at approximately 4:15 p.m. on August 9th, she arrived at the vessel and that Williams was on board drinking. Williams allegedly invited the victim to dinner, to which she agreed, and he told her “to put on a dress. I want to go somewhere nice.”
“At approximately 5:30, victim got changed into her dress and called the launch to pick them up at the vessel,” the report says. “Victim stated that when Christian saw her in the dress that he stated, ‘Wow, you look amazing,’ which this is when victim first began to sense that something may be wrong.”
Williams’ wife allegedly called him while they waited for the launch to pick them up and he told the alleged victim he “didn’t want (his wife) knowing they were going out to dinner.”
Williams proceeded to say various things to the alleged victim throughout the night including “Hey sweety,” and “You’re my sugar mommy tonight,” and that he always “wanted to make a move on” his wife’s friend while they were at Cru restaurant on Straight Wharf.
Williams told the alleged victim she needed to pay for the dinner so his wife wouldn’t find out, which made the victim uneasy. He proceeded to tell the victim her boyfriend, who had already left the island for the summer, was "stupid for not locking you down, you're so beautiful."
“Victim stated that at this time it was approximately 8 p.m. and that she began to get really nervous regarding Christian and told him that ‘I want to go back now,’” the report states. “At this time Christian told her to put her card down and pay for dinner and said, ‘I don't want (my wife) seeing my transaction.’ Victim stated that after they left the restaurant that Christian went to the ATM and withdrew $500 and gave it to her even though dinner was approximately $250. Victim stated that they only had the one alcoholic beverage while at dinner and that was her second of the day. Victim stated that Christian wanted to go out and get another drink which she stated, ‘No, I want to get back to the boat.’”
At approximately 8:30 p.m. the alleged victim told Williams she was going to bed, which led to Williams becoming “very persistent” that he make them one more drink. He allegedly made them a rum drink, and they went upstairs to have it, but she reiterated that she didn’t want to be anywhere near him at this point.
The alleged victim said after drinking it, she proceeded to become very dizzy and lost her vision. She told police that the next thing she knew, Williams was on top of her with his full body weight and began sexually assaulting her. She told police she could not move her body.
The woman shared with police that she told Williams several times “I’m your employee, please get off me” while he continued to forcefully hold her down. He then allegedly took her to his bed, and she said she passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
When the victim woke up, she noticed evidence of a sexual assault on her body, according to the report. She left the boat and proceeded to call Shapiro, the owner of the Nantucket Launch Company, asking if he was working that morning and that she really needed to talk to him. He allegedly told her he was in and out, running around, and asked what was up, and that he was at the dock but didn't have much time.
The victim was then picked up by a launch captain and, upon landing on the dock, told Shapiro what happened and that she woke up in Williams' bed “naked and bleeding." She said to him, “You set me up with this housing,” to which he allegedly replied, “Why are you telling me this? Get to work, are you clocked in?”
The Current reached out to Nantucket Launch Company requesting to speak to Shapiro. Shapiro returned our call Tuesday evening and provided the following statement:
"The recap of the conversation on the dock is not at all accurate," Shapiro said. "I know there is an active police investigation and I have given them everything we can. I am not going to comment any further out of respect for her."
The victim told police that once she was at the dock, she walked away crying and called her father to tell him “something bad just happened on the boat. I was just assaulted. I need you to pick me up.” She said Shapiro allegedly approached her afterwards and said, “Clock out and go home,” to which the victim stated, “I never clocked in, I’m quitting.”
The victim then proceeded to walk to Nantucket Cottage Hospital and had a sexual assault nurse examination (S.A.N.E) completed at 10 a.m. and got on the 2:15 p.m. Hy-Line ferry to Hyannis to meet her father in the parking lot.
The results of the sexual assault nurse examination came back from the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Division Crime Laboratory on September 1st, and "showed positive for male DNA," according to the police report.
Williams was subsequently "located and placed under arrest" on a date that was not specified in the report.
Correction: (This story originally stated Shapiro picked the woman up on Williams' boat. She was picked up by a launch captain and met Shapiro on the dock).