NJ lawyer Matthew Nilo appears in court with fiancée in connection to Boston rape spree

An accused rapist lawyer was hauled into New Jersey court Thursday, where he was supported by his apparent fiancée in his first appearance since he was arrested for a string of Boston rapes 15-plus years ago.

Matthew Nilo, 35, appeared in Hudson County for an extradition hearing as his new fiancée Laura Griffin sat in the courtroom.

Nilo, a Boston native, proposed to Griffin just weeks before he was arrested for attacks on four women in the city’s Terminal Street area between August 2007 and December 2008, according to now-deleted social media posts.

One Facebook friend congratulated the couple on May 15 in a still-remaining post.

“Congratulations Laura and Matt!! So happy to hear your wonderful engagement news!!” the friend wrote.

About two weeks later, on Tuesday, Nilo was arrested at his Weehawken home after Boston investigators used genetic genealogy — which combines DNA technology with historical record searches to generate new suspects in cold cases — to link him to the unsolved assaults.

He has been charged with three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape and one count of indecent assault and battery in connection to the alleged rape spree.

“We believe we have removed a dangerous threat from our community,” FBI Special Agent Joseph Bonavolonta said at a Tuesday press conference announcing Nilo’s arrest.

At his hearing Thursday, Nilo — wearing a navy prison shirt over a T-shirt — waived his rights to an extradition hearing in New Jersey. He will instead be extradited to Boston for his arraignment without a local hearing beforehand.

The lawyer’s four reported victims have been told about his arrest and extradition to Boston, authorities said.

“We certainly realize that identifying this individual does not ease their pain, nothing can, but hopefully it answers some questions,” Bonavolonta said.

Nilo, who was around 19 to 20 years old a the time of the attacks, worked as a cyber claims lawyer with the Cowbell insurance firm at the time of his arrest. However, his employment was suspended pending the ongoing rape investigation.

Griffin did not respond to a message seeking comment.