Templeton Police officer Edward Holden has been charged with multiple counts of child rape and indecent assault on a child and has been placed on paid administrative leave.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported Holden, a Templeton police officer since 2006, was arraigned on May 31 before Judge Bruce Melikian in Orange District Court.

Holden, 37, of Athol, was charged with two counts of aggravated rape of a child, five-year difference, and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, according to the Telegram & Gazette.

Holden “shall have no unsupervised contact with a child under 16, no overnights with a child under 16 and no overnights where a child under 16 resides. Defendant shall not be employed or participate in any volunteer activity where contact with any child under 16 would occur and he shall stay away and have no contact with the victim,” according to the Greenfield and Orange District Court Logs from May 29 to June 4 published in the Greenfield Recorder.

Holden is due back in Orange District Court on July 5.

“Regarding Mr. Holden, he denies the charges, has pleaded ‘not guilty,’ and cannot comment further at this time,” Gregory A. Hession, Holden’s attorney, said in an email on Monday morning.

Templeton Chief of Police Michael Bennett took to Facebook on June 8 to address social media discussions surrounding Holden’s charges.

“Officer Holden was placed on administrative leave as soon as we had learned of the allegations and resulting investigation which lead to the official charges against Officer Holden,” Bennett said in a post on the Templeton Police Department’s Facebook page.

Bennett pledged to monitor the case and take “immediate, appropriate action as warranted.”

“Given this is a personnel matter with the Officer due the presumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ we cannot make any further comments at this time,” he wrote.

Chief Bennett told the Telegram & Gazette that Holden was not arrested but received a summons to appear in court as part of a state agency investigation. Bennett said he understands the offenses allegedly involved one person and took place in 2012 and 2015 outside of Templeton.