The retired Fall River firefighter and former youth sports coach accused of molesting two boys and making advances toward another youth pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment in Fall River Superior Court, as reported by the Dedham Transcript.
Wesley Allardice, 62, of 1307 President Ave., was previously indicted on nine charges, including assault to rape a child, aggravated rape and abuse of a child by age difference, indecent exposure, disseminating materials harmful to a minor, providing alcohol to a minor, indecent assault and battery on a minor, using a drug for sexual intercourse and indecent assault and battery on a minor under 14 years old.
The alleged incidents occurred in Fall River between March 2011 and September 2013. The victims were between 9 and 14 years old at the time.
Other details about the victims were unavailable because they are still minors, said prosecutor Silvia Rudman, the second assistant district attorney and chief of District Attorney Sam Sutter’s Special Victims Unit. Rudman declined to comment further on the case.
“We’re outright denying the allegations,” said Kenneth van Colen, Allardice’s attorney, when addressing the media outside the Fall River Justice Center. Van Colen said he had not yet “confronted the accusers” and said Allardice’s youth coaching and previous tenure as a city firefighter have “nothing to do with this.”
Allardice was arrested by the Fall River Police Department on Sept. 26. He is currently free on $50,000 cash bail, which was set at his Fall River District Court arraignment in late September.
During Tuesday morning’s hearing, van Colen requested that the previous $50,000 cash bail and $500,000 surety be transferred because the case had moved from district court to superior court. That request was granted.
Allardice’s next court appearance will be Jan. 17 for a pre-trial conference in superior court, and May 20 for a hearing. He has been ordered to have no contact with the victims.
