Suspect in attacks on North Shore women could soon stand trial

Jun. 3—SALEM — A former Swampscott man charged in a series of sexual attacks on women in Salem, Swampscott, Marblehead and Lynn back in 2016 may be close to standing trial in those incidents, lawyers indicated to a judge on Thursday.

Mounir Rhoulam, 44, was recently found guilty in similar attacks on two nurses at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater and was also determined in a separate proceeding in Plymouth County Superior Court to be a sexually dangerous person, prosecutor Kate MacDougall told a judge.

In the course of that proceeding, in April, MacDougall said Rhoulam made admissions regarding the cases on the North Shore, information she is sharing with Rhoulam's attorney now.

Rhoulam was awaiting trial and then on probation when a number of women reported being attacked on walking trails in Swampscott, Marblehead and Lynn, and on Derby Street in Salem.

Rhoulam's GPS monitor put him in each of the locations at the times the women reported being attacked, prosecutors say.

One of the women who reported being attacked by Rhoulam in Essex County was a witness at the sexual dangerousness trial in Plymouth County as well, MacDougall said.

The fact that Rhoulam was competent to stand trial in those matters means he could also now be competent to stand trial in the North Shore cases.

His attorney, Ronald Ranta, told Judge Thomas Drechsler that he intends to have Rhoulam re-evaluated for competency soon.

A status hearing is set for Sept. 22. Drechsler said he would like to be in a position at that point to schedule a competency hearing in the case.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis