Fall River man sentenced to the maximum for molesting young relative

A 49-year-old Fall River man who sexually molested a pre-adolescent female relative during the summer of 2015 was convicted by a Fall River District Court jury earlier this month and was sentenced to the maximum allowable penalty in the district court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

A jury convicted David Silvia III on December 1 of one count of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14. Judge Sabine Coyne subsequently sentenced the defendant to the maximum jail term allowable by law of two-and-a-half years in jail, which was in line with Assistant District Attorney Matt Friedel’s sentence recommendation. The defense, after trial, had argued that the defendant should instead be placed on probation.

The young victim, who came forward to her mother in 2018 about the molestation, testified during the trial about the incident.

“I commend the victim for her perseverance and courage, especially at such a young age, for testifying against the defendant for his very despicable conduct. I am leased jury held him accountable and that he received the maximum jail sentence,” District Attorney Quinn said.