LOWELL — A Chelmsford man faces a jury trial in May on charges that he raped five young girls aged 6 to 14 over a span of approximately eight years, up until his arrest in 2023.

The trial in Middlesex Superior Court is scheduled to begin on May 5 after 43-year-old Joshua Marshall rejected a plea deal that would have sentenced him to 18 to 22 years in prison, followed by probation.

Marshall faces 27 charges, including 16 counts of aggravated rape of a child, nine counts of rape of a child by force, and one count each of indecent assault and battery, and indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability. If found guilty at trial, he could face decades in prison.

With the trial date set, Marshall’s attorney, Eileen Morrison, said that her client is eager to prove his innocence.

“He hopes the jury finds him not guilty because he is not guilty,” Morrison said.

The allegations against Marshall surfaced on March 30, 2023 when a friend of one of the alleged victims approached staff at their school after learning the girl was possibly being sexually abused, according to a Chelmsford Police incident report. School staff contacted police, who worked with members of the alleged victim’s family to set up a restraining order against Marshall.

On April 3, 2023, the alleged victim was interviewed by authorities from the Chelmsford Police, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and the state Department of Children and Families. A warrant was subsequently issued for Marshall, and a couple days later, he was arraigned on several charges related to the alleged victim.

Since then, four more alleged victims have come forward. During interviews with the girls, police said the victims detailed repeated incidents of rape allegedly inflicted by Marshall.

One alleged victim, who is cognitively disabled, told authorities that Marshall also physically abused her by striking her in the face with an open hand.

During a hearing before Judge Kenneth Salinger in Middlesex Superior Court on Dec. 10, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office sought to bring an end to the case by recommending a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison for Marshall in exchange for a guilty plea. Morrison recommended a decade behind bars for her client. Both recommendations included a probationary term following his release.

Salinger indicated he would agree to give Marshall 18 to 22 years in prison if he pleaded guilty.

A change of plea hearing was scheduled for Dec. 30. However, it was canceled before it began after it was announced that Marshall decided to decline the offer.

The trial will take place in Courtroom 17 of the Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center.

Despite an objection from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Marshall remains free on bail with the condition he wear a GPS tracking device and stay away from the alleged victims.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis.