WILTON — A woman who said she was raped repeatedly by a man she met on an online dating site is speaking out after her alleged attacker's bail was reduced and he was released.

Joseph J. Martell, 34, of 222 Burns Hill Road in Wilton, is facing eight felony aggravated sexual assault charges. Other women who claim to be victims of sexual assault at the hands of Martell have come forward since his May 29 arrest, according to Wilton Police Chief Brent Hautanen, but because the alleged incidents occurred outside Wilton, the department has forwarded the information to the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office.

Assistant County Attorney David Tenzca, who is prosecuting the case, said he couldn't talk about the other allegations because an investigation is still under way.

Until last Wednesday, Martell was being held on $75,000 cash-only bail. But during a hearing at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Nashua last week, Judge Diane Nicolosi lowered his bail to $30,000 cash or corporate surety.

The woman, who is not being identified because she is the alleged victim of a sexual assault, said she met Martell on the dating site plentyoffish.com. The two met in person at a restaurant in Nashua the Friday before the alleged attack.

“He was a complete gentleman, he paid for the meal, and he invited me to his home in Wilton for a cookout that weekend,” she said.

The woman was under the impression that the barbecue on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend was going to include a gathering of Martell's friends, but when she arrived at his home in Wilton, she discovered she was the only guest. Not long after she arrived, she said Martell allegedly started talking about guns, and then he reportedly sexually assaulted her for the first time.

“He caught me totally off guard,” she said, and for the rest of the night, she said she was assaulted repeatedly but couldn't escape because she had no cell-phone signal and Martell had dogs that barked every time she made a move.

“I was in fear for my life but I dealt with the situation as best I could,” she said. “I knew I was in danger, but I just wanted to make it out alive.”

Claims questioned

Martell's public defender, Ed Cross, said there are facts in the case that call into question some of the alleged victim's claims.

Cross said the woman said she scratched Martell and also said she was bitten by him on both her thighs and arms, but there was no physical evidence of those injuries. Cross also said that Martell's landlady saw two people having a casual conversation and heard a woman laughing at 10 p.m. the night of the alleged assault.

“Obviously there are some questions here,” said Cross.

He said Martell has steadfastly denied that he assaulted the woman.

The woman said she escaped Martell the morning of May 28 after she was able to send a text message to a friend. The friend texted her back pretending to be her mother and telling her she had to get home to pick up her child. The alleged victim said she showed Martell the message, and was able to leave. She said she went to her friend's house, who took her to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua. Martell was arrested the next day after a search warrant was executed at his home.

The woman said she took out a restraining order against Martell, and took some comfort in the fact that he was behind bars. But when she attended his bail hearing in Nashua last week, she was shocked that the judge reduced his bail.

“I don't understand it,” said the woman. “After the hearing, I was told by the county attorney to go home, get my belongings and find somewhere safe to go. I've been staying at a hotel but now I'm going into hiding. I'm fearful for my life.”

Cross said that Martell has strong ties to the community and doesn't have a lengthy criminal record, which may have been factors in Nicolosi's decision to reduce bail.

The attorney said it could be a year until Martell's case goes to trial.

nfoster@newstote.com