Bristol County man convicted in Fall River of repeatedly molesting his pre-teen step-grandson

A 73-year-old Taunton man was convicted last week by a jury of his peers of sexually molesting his pre-teen step-grandson, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III announced.

After a three-day jury trial in Fall River Superior Court, the defendant, Fred Walker, was convicted of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person Under the Age of 14. He was sentenced by Judge Susan Sullivan to serve five to eight years in state prison.

Between July of 2018 and May of 2021, Walker sexually molested the boy on multiple occasions when the boy was spending time at his grandmother’s Taunton home.

The victim, the victim’s mother and the victim’s older brother all testified during the trial. The victim detailed the sexual abuse he suffered, the mother testified that she would leave her two sons at her mother’s house a few times per month when her work schedule required it, and the victim’s older brother told the jury about seeing the victim and Walker alone in two separate rooms in the apartment with the door shut. The older brother also recounted how his younger brother revealed the abuse to him less than an hour after learning Walker was planning to move to Nevada.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Cana Yesilcimen and Catherine Sauter.

“I am please jury held the defendant accountable for molesting the victim. The defendant took advantage of his access to the victim when they were home alone and subjected him to very degrading and offensive touching. I commend the victim for his courage in persevering through this ordeal,” District Attorney Quinn said.