Details emerge after Swansea man sentenced to prison on list of charges including crimes against Fall River juvenile

A 21-year-old Swansea man pled guilty last week to a slew of indictments charging him with crimes ranging from child rape to illegal gun charges to narcotics trafficking, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Joshua Andrade pled guilty to 16 separate indictments, charging him with three counts of rape of a child, and one count each of possession of child pornography, criminal contempt, trafficking fentanyl, trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute suboxone, possession with intent to distribute Alprazolam, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute psilocybin, possession to distribute oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute amphetamine, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm feeding device and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Andrade was sentenced to serve eight to 12 years in state prison.

On December 7, 2022, the 15-year-old victim disclosed to her DCYF worker that she had been raped. During a forensic interview, the victim disclosed that in the summer of 2022 she was living with her foster mother in Fall River. She met and communicated with Andrade over social media. The victim also disclosed that he told her he sold drugs and showed her drugs over social media and face time. The victim told investigators that Andrade advertised his drug operation on social media and that the defendant had two guns that he keeps under his pillow and mattress.

In June of 2022 Andrade asked the victim to come over to smoke with him. The victim stated he had “more weed than she’s ever seen in her life.” Once the victim was at his Swansea home, he kissed the victim, but she said ‘no’ and that she just wanted to smoke. The two smoked “five blunts” and Andrade gave the victim beers, causing the victim to become extremely intoxicated.

At this point, Andrade had the victim perform oral sex on him. Andrade took a photo of the victim performing oral sex and sent it to people on social media with a vulgar caption. Police obtained these social media records and observed a similar photo and a message consistent with this.

When Andrade told her to take off her pants, she refused. At which point, he stated “I’ll take them off for you” and removed her pants. The victim fell asleep on his bed and was awoken to him on top of her, having vaginal sex with her. The victim again told Andrade she doesn’t want to have sex. He responds by saying “I don’t care.” He then forces her to have anal sex. The victim described that Andrade took a video of her as he was having sex with her.

Swansea Police later obtained a search warrant for Andrade’s home, which was executed on December 22, 2022. Police seized Andrade’s phone and bedding consistent with the victim’s description of it.

Police also locate an inoperable handgun with a large capacity 33-round feeding device in it, loaded with 28 rounds. There were also boxes of 9 mm ammunition, several phones and ipads, baking soda, sandwich bags, scales, tinfoils, nearly $7,000 in cash, nearly 40 ounces of marijuana, 21 packages of suboxone, 900 grams of methamphetamine pills, 405 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, 50 grams of powdered cocaine, 447 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 3.19 grams of oxycodone, 106 grams of Alprazolam.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gillian Kirsch and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

“The defendant was trafficking in large amounts of different drugs. He raped a teenage runaway and was in possession of an illegal gun. It is very discouraging, given the defendants young age, that he is involved in such serious criminal activity. He clearly poses a significant danger to the community. This sentence necessary to protect the public from him,” District Attorney Quinn said.