A Florida man has been arrested and charged with raping a young employee aboard his yacht in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in August. Christian Bradley Williams, 54, faces three counts of rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14.
According to a police report, Williams allegedly drugged the 22-year-old victim's drink before sexually assaulting her on the evening of August 9. The incident occurred just hours after Williams' wife, young son, and nanny had departed the island for Florida.
The victim, who had been employed as a deckhand on Williams' yacht, the "Chimera," since June, reported that Williams became persistent about having another drink after they returned from dinner. The victim stated that after consuming a rum beverage, she became dizzy and lost vision. She told police that Williams then sexually assaulted her, despite her pleas that she was his employee.
When the victim awoke, she noticed evidence of the assault and later reported the incident to her employer and owner of the Nantucket Launch Company, Max Shapiro. Shapiro denied the victim's account of their conversation on the dock after she quit. The victim then went to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where she underwent a sexual assault examination.
Forensic results from the Massachusetts State Police laboratory on September 1 were positive for male DNA. Williams was later located and arrested.
Williams, who has ties to the U.S. Navy and previously commanded the USS Springfield submarine, pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Friday. He is being held on $50,000 cash bail or $500,000 surety. His attorney stated that Williams' wife was bringing the bail money to Nantucket.