Viprino Due Back In Court; Pretrial Hearing Set For Dec. 13

HARWICH – The Harwich man facing more than 40 rape and weapons charges in connection with numerous alleged sexual assaults will be back in Barnstable Superior Court next week.

 Barry D. Viprino, 42, will appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 13, where it is expected that results of DNA testing will be submitted, according to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office.

 Viprino was initially arraigned in Orleans District Court in November 2023 on 11 counts of rape and one additional count each of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and possession of a large capacity firearm. Those charges stem from alleged assaults involving three victims in the summer of 2023, all of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters.

 In March, Viprino was arraigned again in Barnstable Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to 46 charges. Those included one count of aggravated rape, 19 counts of rape, five counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14, one count of kidnapping, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of witness intimidation, one count of possessing a large-capacity firearm, and 15 counts of possessing a large-capacity feeding device for a firearm.

The 46 charges from the March arraignment include the original charges brought against Viprino, as well as those brought by four additional victims that have since come forward to Harwich police. Assistant District Attorney Courtney Scalise said during the March arraignment that the additional alleged offenses occurred after the original charges were already brought against Viprino.

“He allegedly continued to groom, manipulate and sexually exploit young girls while he knew that charges were pending against him,” she said.

 Police and prosecutors say the alleged assaults occurred in different locations, including in the back of Viprino’s truck and a garage space that Viprino used as an office. In another incident, it is alleged that Viprino held a gun to the head of one of his children for being disrespectful to one of the victims. 

 Viprino has been in custody since November 2023 in lieu of $200,000 bail.