Judge reduces bail in Villa case

From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

     A Wrentham District Court judge this morning reduced bail for Daniel Villa from $100,000 to $7,500.
    But the man who coached Walpole High to its dominant Super Bowl run just three weeks ago will remain in custody pending the installation of a GPS monitoring system. His next court date is Jan. 7. The Boston Herald reports that Villa’s wife has filed for divorce and is seeking custody of their four children.
    Villa, 44, was arraigned Tuesday morning in Wrentham District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of three counts of rape of a child over 14 and three counts of enticing a minor.
   Villa, who has since resigned from his positions as Walpole High athletic director, head football coach and teacher, was ordered him to stay away from his alleged 15-year-old female victim as well as her family, Walpole schools and any children under 16 except his own.
    Prosecutors said Villa was the victim’s basketball coach before she entered high school. The girl told police she had always been good friends with Villa.
    According to a police report, Villa began meeting the girl outside school in October, including near a housing development under construction in the town. Their meetings, which occurred until December, progressed from talking to kissing to touching, the girl told police.
   Villa allegedly raped the student on three occasions, the report said.
    On Dec. 11, the girl’s father found more than 500 text messages allegedly written by Villa during a one-month period. Some of the messages said Villa had made a mistake, was going to lose his wife and children and that he loved the girl, according to the report written by Walpole Police Detective James O’Connell.
   Villa, an Arizona native, turned himself in to police Saturday night in Tucson, a day after Wrentham District Court issued a warrant for his arrest. He had gone to Arizona to spend Christmas with his family.
    Upon arriving at Logan Airport early Tuesday morning, Villa was taken into custody by Walpole and State Police, who were aware of his impending arrival, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office.
    He was transported to the Walpole police station to be booked on warrants for the rape of a child and enticement that had been issued for his arrest, according to the D.A.’s office.
    The allegations came to light when a parent of the student went to School Supt. Lincoln Lynch and Walpole police last week.
    The parents of the girl were alerted to her contact with Villa after discovering "inappropriate" text messages from Villa on her cell phone, according to Walpole Deputy Chief Scott Bushway.
    In a written statement, Lynch said he had received "a credible parent complaint related to the conduct of Mr. Daniel Villa."
    Villa resigned from his positions at Walpole High on Dec. 23, hours after Lynch confronted him over the allegations and placed him on paid administrative leave.
    Shortly thereafter, Villa traveled to Arizona to spend Christmas with his relatives, leaving behind his wife and four children in Walpole, according to several news reports.
    Initially, Villa’s attorney told police her client would be flying back to Massachusetts last Friday to turn himself in. When he failed to arrive on his scheduled flight, Walpole authorities issued a fugitive warrant, Bushway said.
    Upon learning that Arizona police were seeking to arrest him on the Massachusetts charges, Villa turned himself in to local authorities in Tucson, according to his attorney.
    Villa had been the high school’s head football coach for the past eight years, compiling a 72-23 record with four postseason appearances. This year, his team capped an undefeated season with a Division 2 Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl win over Mansfield on Dec. 6.
    Among the hardest hit were students and former Walpole High School football players, like Tim Pelletier, who graduated in 2005 and played for Villa.
    "He was a great coach, a great guy," Pelletier told WBZ-TV. "He was almost like a second father to all the players."
    As an offensive guard, Villa played in the NFL from 1987 to 1998, spending six years with the Patriots. He also played with the Phoenix Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers.
    He starred at Arizona State from 1984-86 before being drafted by New England.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read “Judge reduces bail in Villa case” on the Wicked Local Walpole website