New Bedford Child Rapist Convicted at Trial, Sentenced to up to 30 Years in Prison
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
July 6, 2023
A 45-year-old New Bedford man will spend the next 20 to 30 years in state prison after being convicted by a jury of his peers of systematically raping his daughter over the course of six years, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
After a five-day trial held in Fall River Superior Court, a jury last Friday convicted Robert Albert of indictments charging him with two counts of Rape of a Child-Aggravated by Age Difference, two counts of Rape of a Child and two counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person over the Age of 14.
On November 16, 2019, the victim (then 16) told her adult sister that their father had been sexually abusing her. The sister then contacted police, at which point the victim was removed from the home and the defendant was arrested. She later told police investigators that the abuse had been going on since she was in the fifth grade. The defendant would routinely force the girl to perform sex acts in exchange for things she wanted or things she wanted to do.
Both the victim and her sister testified during the trial.
The jury deliberated for about six hours before returning the guilty verdicts. During a sentencing hearing held last Friday afternoon before Judge Renee Dupuis, Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer Thompson and Jennifer Czapiga argued for a 25 to 30 year state prison sentence, to be followed by 10 years of supervised probation. The defense, however, recommended a 10 year state prison term with 10 years of probation.
Judge Dupuis sentenced the defendant to serve 20 to 30 years in state prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised probation. The conditions of his eventual probation include attending sex offender treatment, no contact with the victim, no living with minor children, no unsupervised contact with children, no employment that puts him in contact with children, no relationships with any parent of a juvenile and register as a sex offender.
“This was a terrible case of systematic abuse of a young child over a six-year period. Sadly, the victim’s mother was not in her life during this time, which made it easier for the defendant to abuse her,” District Attorney Quinn said. “A substantial prison sentence was warranted to punish this egregious conduct, which has severely impacted the victim. I commend the victim for testifying and hope she can move forward with her life now that the criminal case is behind her.”
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576