DA: Somerset man imprisoned for luring underage girl on Snapchat, raping her
A 27-year-old Somerset man was sentenced on Tuesday for sexually assaulting an underage girl in 2022.
Just before his trial was set to begin, Ian Anderson pleaded guilty to rape of a child by force and rape of a child in Fall River Superior Court, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to serve 8-12 years in state prison by Judge Raffi Yessayan.
According to charging documents, Anderson communicated with a 15-year-old victim using a popular social media app called Snapchat. Under the username “Nacho_Medeiros,” he and the victim exchanged photos and their ages and eventually made plans to meet up, although the victim was less keen on meeting Anderson in person once she found out his age.
Anderson then picked up the child from her friend’s house and brought her back to his house. After taking her back to his bedroom, officials say he told the victim if anyone asks, she should tell them she is 19 years old.
He then proceeded to rape her and warned her not to tell anyone because he could get into serious trouble due to the age difference, charging documents say.
On November 17, 2022, the parents of the 15-year-old victim noticed the child wasn’t acting like herself for the past two days. After they went through the victim’s phone, they found the concerning Snapchat messages which indicated the victim engaged in intercourse with Anderson. A week and a half later, the victim sat for a forensic interview and revealed what Anderson had done.
“This case highlights the extreme danger of meeting a stranger online,” District Attorney Thomas Quinn said. “It eventually led to the defendant committing a violent sexual assault against the victim. Fortunately, her family obtained her messages which led to the defendant being arrested.”
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