HYANNIS – From Barnstable Police: On Tuesday April 30, 2024, 68 year old Robert Russo (Girrard) of Provincetown was arrested for sexually assaulting a male juvenile in a public restroom in Hyannis. At approximately 3pm the Barnstable Police responded to the reported assault. Russo was identified as the suspect and was taken into custody on scene. The incident was investigated by members from the Barnstable Police Patrol Division and Investigative Services Division. The investigation revealed that Russo had become friends with the juvenile on social media and gaming apps. After conversing on the apps the two parties met at a public restroom in Hyannis where the assault took place. Russo was arraigned at Barnstable District Court on Wednesday May 1, 2024 and held without bail. Russo is being charged with Rape of a Child (Aggravated 10 year age difference), Indecent Assault and Battery on Child under 14, Assault and Battery Dangerous Weapon on Child under 14, Strangulation or Suffocation, and Assault and Battery.
The Barnstable Police Department would like to remind parents of the online resources to help you educate yourself and your children on internet safety located at www.netsmartz.org. If you need to report suspicious online behavior please contact the Barnstable Police Department at 508-778-3874.
