Previously convicted child molester sentenced in Fall River court after raping young family member, keeping her underwear

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, III has announced that a man was sentenced in the Fall River Superior Court after a guilty plea on disturbing charges. 

66-year-old Vernon Harris, of Providence, RI, was sentenced by the Honorable Raffi Yessayan to serve a State Prison sentence of Seventeen to Twenty years for the crimes of Forcible Rape of a Child (2 counts), Aggravated Rape of Child by Age (2 counts), Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 (3 counts) and one count of Intimidation of a Witness. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Canan Yesilcimen. The Commonwealth requested a State Prison sentence of 25 to 30 years.  Harris requested a State Prison sentence of 12 to 15 years.

In December of 2024, the Attleboro Police were dispatched for a disturbance.  Upon arrival, they located Harris, who was being escorted out of an Attleboro home.   Family members of the defendant indicated to police that he was found in the 8-year-old female victim’s bedroom laying on top of her.  Both were unclothed from the waist down.  Harris is a family member of the young female victim.  The victim disclosed that he had sexually assaulted and raped her on that date.  Harris was arrested at that time.  During booking, police located a baggie on the defendant containing a jelly like substance along with a wet towel.  The victim indicated that Harris would buy her gifts after he molested her and indicated to her that she would get in trouble if she disclosed the abuse to anyone.  The victim also told interviewers that the defendant would request her underwear from her.  Police located Harris’ backpack that had been left behind at the victim’s home.  The backpack did contain a pair of the victim’s worn underwear. 

The defendant was previously convicted of Second-Degree Child Molestation in Rhode Island in 1999.

“The defendant is clearly a very disturbed and perverted individual who continues to sexually abuse young children well into his sixties.  In this case, it was his own family member.  The defendant clearly does not belong in society.  The family was very relieved that the victim did not have to testify against the defendant,” District Attorney Tom Quinn said.