Former Mass. radio host discovered responsible of molesting 8-year-old feminine relative

Crime

Richard Oliveira, 53, is alleged to have sexually and bodily assaulted a detailed feminine relative throughout her preteen years.

A jury discovered a former Massachusetts journalist responsible of sexually and bodily assaulting a “shut feminine relative” throughout her preteen years on Tuesday, the Bristol County District Lawyer’s workplace mentioned.

Richard Oliveira, 53, was discovered responsible of indecent assault and battery on an individual underneath the age of 14 and assault and battery in Fall River District Court docket, the DA’s workplace mentioned in a press launch Wednesday.

In the course of the trial, the sufferer testified that when she was eight years previous, Oliveira sexually molested her after she went into his bed room looking for consolation throughout a stormy night time, the discharge mentioned. 

Then, about two years later, Oliveira punished the sufferer for throwing out his cigarettes by dragging her round the home by her hair, the discharge mentioned. Whereas doing so, he ripped a few of her hair off her head. 

The sufferer testified that she threw out the cigarettes as a result of she was affected by bronchial asthma, and it was laborious for her to breathe when Oliveira smoked, the discharge mentioned.

The crimes occurred in Swansea, the place Oliveira lives, the discharge mentioned. The Herald Information reported that they occurred between 2012 and 2014.

What led as much as the trial

Oliveira labored as a reporter for The Commonplace-Occasions of New Bedford within the Nineties, and later grew to become the writer of the Portuguese and English language newspaper O Jornal, the Herald reported. O Jornal is now a bit of the Herald.

In 2008, Oliveira grew to become a part-time discuss present host at Fall River’s WSAR radio station, the Herald reported. He served in varied roles on the station, together with normal supervisor, till he was “involuntarily separated from the group” in 2017.

Oliveira was charged with and arraigned on the 2 counts of assault in November 2022, the Herald reported. A decide launched him on his personal recognizance on Dec. 11 with orders to don’t have any contact with the sufferer or “anybody pertaining to the case.”

Oliveira’s courtroom file was stored from public document to guard the identification of the sufferer and since the filings include specific details about the sexual abuse of a minor, the Herald reported.

Oliveira’s sentencing

Decide Cynthia Brackett sentenced Oliveira to 2 years in the home of corrections, with one 12 months to serve and the steadiness suspended for 3 years, the discharge mentioned. If he violates any phrases of his eventual launch or commits a brand new crime, he could possibly be ordered to serve the rest of the suspended jail sentence.

Throughout sentencing, the prosecution requested the decide to situation the utmost two-and-a-half 12 months jail time period for the indecent assault and one other 12 months in jail for the bodily assault, the discharge mentioned. The protection requested for no jail time, and as a substitute sought a 3 to five-year probationary time period.

In her influence assertion, the sufferer advised the courtroom she “suffered by years of hysteria and despair because of what [Oliveira] did to her,” the DA’s workplace wrote within the launch. “She mentioned she nonetheless fears strolling alone on the road and mentioned what occurred to her has tainted her childhood.”

Bristol County DA Thomas Quinn III mentioned within the launch that Oliveira “took benefit of his place of belief and engaged in despicable conduct.”

“Primarily based on the info of the case, I really feel the defendant ought to have been sentenced to an extended interval of incarceration,” he mentioned. “I commend the sufferer for coming ahead and for testifying in courtroom underneath very tough circumstances.”