A jury took less than four hours to convict a New Bedford man of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl when she was living with him, the Bristol County District Attorney said Wednesday.
Christopher Baez-Rivera, 29, was convicted of raping and molesting the victim after a two-week trial at Fall River Superior Court. He was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.
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According to prosecutors, the victim viewed Baez-Rivera as a father figure and has been in his mother's custody from the time she was 4 years old. She was living in the same home as Baez-Rivera during the crimes, in 2020 and 2021.
“The defendant took advantage of his relationship with and access to the victim. She was only 12 years old when he repeatedly raped her. I commend the victim for coming forward and persevering through this very difficult ordeal. I hope she can move forward with her life,” District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a media statement.
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Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
