UPDATED: Chair of Providence GOP Arrested for Child Molestation

Roy Bolden the Chair of the Providence GOP and closely tied to Rhode Island Republican leaders was arraigned on Wednesday by Providence Police on charges of first-degree and second-degree child molestation, and third-degree sexual assault. Bolden was ordered held without bail.

Bolden has deep ties to RI GOP chair Brandon Bell. At a leading GOP event in 2013 — the inaugural meeting of the Roosevelt Society, Bolden weighed in on GOP and family values.

According to an article in Ocean State Current, published in 2013:

A former football player at the University of Rhode Island, Bolden founded Legions of Christ Ministries in Providence, which has as one of its ministries People United for Change, applying the moral and religious principles of the group more broadly, to economics and politics.

Growing up in South Providence, and in his ministries, Bolden has witnessed the value that conservative principles can have for people in an area full of abuse, where “nobody has a father,” and where “nobody wants to be on welfare,” but nobody sees an alternative way to get by.

By Afternoon Democrats and Republicans Were Sparring

Joe McNamara, Chair of the RI Democratic Party called on Bell to officially disassociate both himself and the Republican Party from Roy Bolden.

“These are troubling and disgusting allegations, made even more reprehensible because Mr. Bolden appears to have used his position as a leader in a local church to perpetrate these crimes. Our state’s Republican Party should not condone this behavior by allowing Mr. Bolden to remain in a leadership position,” said McNamara.

Within hours, the RI GOP issued their own press release. "The allegations against Roy Bolden have taken me and the Republican State Central Committee by complete surprise. Roy Bolden was elected Chairman for a 4 year term by the Providence Republican City Committee in 2015, said a statement signed by Bell. "While Mr. Bolden is entitled to his presumption of innocence, he has been removed as Chairman and the acting Chairman will be the First Vice Chair of the Committee per their by-laws pending a meeting of their committee in the next couple weeks."

Email follow ups by GoLocal to Bell asking about under what authority was Bolden removed. Those questions were not responded to.



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