Somerset man sentenced to prison on Fall River child molestation charges

A 46-year-old former Somerset man who took advantage of a dating relationship with a woman to sexually assault her young granddaughter on multiple occasions was sentenced to serve eight to 15 years in state prison yesterday, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Joshua Bourassa pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with statutory rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, assault with intent to rape a child, and open and gross lewdness.

The defendant sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions in Fall River while the girl was between the ages of five and seven. The victim eventually told another child about the abuse. That other child told her mother, and the mother contacted the mother of the victim.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan. In addition to the prison term, the defendant will also be placed on supervised probation with GPS monitoring for an additional seven years.

“The defendant took advantage of his access to the victim and sexually abused her on multiple occasions starting when she was only five. The defendant’s conduct is depraved and highly offensive. I commend the victim for disclosing this disgusting behavior and persevering through the case. I hope she can move forward with her life,” District Attorney Quinn said.