DCF case worker charged with raping Boston client

BOSTON, April 29, 2026 – A former state Department of Children and Families case worker was arraigned in BMC Central today for raping the mother of a family he was assigned to assist, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

RICHARD MAGRATH, 31, of Quincy is charged with two counts of rape. Judge Paul Treseler set bail at $20,000 and ordered Magrath to have no contact with the victim, the victim’s family, and all prior DCF clients. Additionally, Judge Treseler ordered Magrath to remain in Massachusetts under GPS monitoring with an exclusionary zone of the victim’s address. Magrath will return to court on May 27 for a probable cause hearing.

At around 7 p.m. on April 17, Magrath, a DCF social worker since 2025, went to the home of a Boston woman to discuss services for her two children with special needs. The children were not in the home at the time. The victim said that during the initial interaction, Magrath complimented her and touched her arm in a way that made her uncomfortable. Magrath left the residence but returned at around 9 p.m. He entered the victim’s home, grabbed her arm, and said, “nobody needs to know about this,” while guiding her to the couch and exposing his genitals. Magrath then raped the victim. Before leaving, he said he would see her during the next scheduled visit.

The victim reported the assault to Boston police. Magrath was arrested on April 28.

“Needless to say, this set of facts represents an extraordinary abuse of power and access. In addition to harming the victim, this man harmed the many DCF workers who provide essential services day in and day out to people throughout Massachusetts,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications