Man convicted in Fall River court of 25 different indictments charging him with multiple child rapes, indecent assaults in Bristol & Plymouth Counties

A 37-year-old Plymouth man who was convicted last month of 25 different indictments charging him with multiple child rapes and indecent assaults will be sentenced in Fall River Superior Court Wednesday.

Nehemya Smith faces decades of prison time in connection to the rapes and sexual abuse of two girls in Raynham, Hyannis and Milton.

Smith was an “elder” with the Twelve Tribes, which is an international religious based organization with multiple locations in New England. When members join the Tribe, they give up their possessions and live communally.

In both cases, siblings who had left the tribe contacted police once they became aware of the allegations. Both victims were still residing with their parents in the tribe when the disclosures were made. The sexual abuse of victim one took place when she was 14 – 16 years old. The sexual abuse of victim two took place when she was 12 – 15 years old. All of the incidents occurred between 2016 and 2020.

The Barnstable and Norfolk County incidents were transferred to Bristol County, so all the case could be tried together.

After a two-week long trial in New Bedford Superior Court, a jury on September 3rd returned guilty verdicts on all 25 indictments.

The indictments included 12 counts of aggravated rape of a child, eight counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a person Over 14, four counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person Under 14 and one count of Rape.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Silvia Rodman and Kalene Kobza, and was presided over by Judge Renee Dupuis.