New Bedford man sentenced to five-to-seven years for indecent A&B on a person under 14
FALL RIVER — A 33-year-old New Bedford man will serve up to seven years in state prison after recently being convicted of pedophilic acts and the sexual assault of a middle schooler, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III has announced.
Juan Riz was convicted after a five-day jury trial in Fall River Superior Court earlier this month of indictments charging him with indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, attempted indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, enticing a minor, lewd and lascivious acts and perjury, according to a press release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Thomspon and the five- to seven-year state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Renee Dupuis.
On May 31, 2017, the victim was walking home from school when the defendant drove up alongside her and asked her if she wanted a ride home since it was raining heavily. The defendant was known to the victim and she accepted the ride. As soon as she got into the truck, the defendant drove a short way, then pulled over. He proceeded to begin masturbating in front of the victim, attempted to force her hand onto his penis and grabbed her chest over her clothes. He also attempted to remove her sweatshirt, at which point the victim broke free, exited the truck and ran for help.
“The defendant engaged in perverted and very offensive criminal conduct against the victim, who was just trying to get home from school. He was on probation when he committed these crimes and is clearly a danger to the community,” Quinn said.
The defendant was on probation at the time of the incident for an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon conviction. During a probation violation hearing triggered by the 2017 arrest, the defendant perjured himself during sworn testimony. He testified under oath that the victim never got in his truck and that he only asked her if she had seen his girlfriend’s daughter. The perjury was proven after recorded jail phone conversations revealed the defendant told his girlfriend that he did pick the victim up and that she did enter his truck.
In addition to the state prison sentence, the judge also imposed an additional five year supervised probationary term.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford man sentenced for indecent A&B on a minor
