A Norwell man has been indicted on charges that he sexually assaulted fifteen patients in his care as a Pediatrician at South Shore Medical Center, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
A Plymouth County grand jury indicted Richard A. Kauff, 68, of Norwell, on nine counts of Rape of a Child with Force, and eight counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14.
Kauff is out on $50,000 cash bail with conditions of release he is ordered to stay away and have no contact with the victims, or South Shore Medical Center facilities in Norwell and Kingston. Additionally, the Commonwealth requested that Kauff have no unsupervised contact with children under 16, that he surrender his passport, remain in the Commonwealth, and relinquish his medical license.
Since 1983 Kauff worked as a pediatrician and was most recently associated with South Shore Medical Center in Norwell. Kauff saw patients in both the Kingston and Norwell offices connected to South Shore Medical, until his retirement in 2022.
On October 4, 2023, an anonymous person posted to local Facebook group that they believed they were sexually assaulted during an annual checkup. Others replied to the Facebook post and urged the victim to report the incident to Norwell Police.
The following day, another victim reported to Norwell Police a similar incident. Both victims alleged the perpetrator was Kauff. After the Norwell Police Department sought charges against Kauff in the Hingham District Court, over three dozen individuals came forward to report similar experiences with Kauff.  As a result, an extensive grand jury investigation was conducted to identify additional alleged victims and the viability of prosecution on charges based on the analysis of statute of limitations and other legal issues.  After several months of investigation, the grand jury has returned seventeen indictments for fifteen different victims spanning twenty-three years
Kauff will be arraigned on the charges in Superior Court at a later date.
The case was investigated by Norwell Police.

Plymouth, MA –The Community Land and Water Coalition invites the public to join a community forum titled “Protecting Our Land and Waters: Part II” on Thursday, July 18, from 6:00 to 7:45 pm in the Fehlow Meeting Room at the Plymouth Public Library.
This forum aims to foster an informed dialogue on the challenges and opportunities surrounding land conservation in Southeastern Massachusetts. It serves as a platform for community members, environmental advocates, and stakeholders to discuss pressing issues, share insights, and explore collaborative solutions.
The event will feature presentations from local conservationists and environmental experts, followed by an open discussion and networking session. Attendees will have the chance to learn about ongoing initiatives, voice concerns, and discover ways to contribute to the preservation of our natural landscapes through grassroot efforts and community organizing.
Free and open to the public, this forum encourages community involvement in shaping the future of land conservation advocacy efforts in our region.
Community Land
& Water Coalition
P.O. Box 1699
Plymouth MA 02362
www.communitylandandwater.org
Check out our You Tube Channel  for drone footage of earth removal sites, meeting recordings and educational webinars. Working to preserve, protect and steward the land and water resources of Southeastern Massachusetts. We are losing them fast.
Join us on Facebook Twitter  Instagram

Legislation will protect property owners from “equity theft”
BOSTON – Representative Kathy LaNatra joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing “An Act relative to municipal tax lien procedures and protections for property owners in the Commonwealth,” which would align current statute with a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The legislation secures the rights of property owners to reclaim any excess equity to which they are entitled after all taxes and fees are repaid to the municipalities following a tax foreclosure, while substantially increasing notifications and other protections for property owners throughout the foreclosure process.
“This legislation brings Massachusetts statutes in line with recent Court decisions and ensures  the rights of property owners are protected in the foreclosure process,” said Representative Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “This legislation ensures cities and towns are paid what they are owed and property owners hard-earned equity is protected, making the Commonwealth a better place for working families. Thank you to Speaker Mariano, Chairman Cusack, and Chairman Michlewitz for their work on this important legislation.”
The Supreme Court ruled in Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota that state laws allowing municipalities to retain equity from a foreclosed property, in excess of any taxes and fees owed by a property owner, were unconstitutional under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This ruling had an impact on the municipal tax lien foreclosure process in the Commonwealth, since Massachusetts law also allowed municipalities or third parties that purchased tax liens to keep excess equity following a property foreclosure for unpaid taxes. Underscoring the need for legislative action, a recent ruling by the Massachusetts Superior Court (Ashley M. Mills v. City of Springfield) found that the property foreclosure process in Massachusetts was unconstitutional, a ruling that was supported by legal briefings from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
This bill ensures that Massachusetts law is constitutional throughout all municipalities in the Commonwealth, and fair to those subject to municipal tax lien foreclosure proceedings. This legislation does the following:
• Requires that a detailed accounting be taken following a foreclosure in a tax taking of the excess equity that is available;
• Any excess equity must be returned to the former owner within 60 days;
• Allows for retroactive claims for excess equity from May 25, 2023, until date of passage;
Updates notice requirements where the subject property is residential;
• Allows former owners the opportunity to file a claim in Superior Court if there is a dispute on the amount of excess equity owed;
• Increases the maximum length for repayment agreements for owed taxes from five to 10 years;
• Decrease the amount for a down payment for the repayment agreements from 25 percent to 10 percent and;
• Establishes a special commission to conduct a comprehensive study relative to the current law and practices around the collection of delinquent property tax revenue by municipalities in the Commonwealth.
• Having passed the House of Representatives 154-0, the bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.