Taunton Man to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Aggravated Child Rape

TAUNTON — A 61-year-old Taunton man has been sentenced to serve at least a decade in prison after he was convicted of aggravated child rape and other charges for assaulting a young family member.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office said Antonio Nascimento-Depina was found guilty following a five-day jury trial and was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in state prison.

He was convicted of two counts of aggravated rape of a child and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, according to the D.A.'s office.

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Nascimento-Depina's charges stem from an incident that took place on July 28-29, 2018.

The D.A.'s office said the victim, a member of the defendant's family, was home alone with him and her seven-year-old brother.

According to the office, the children had just finished watching an educational cartoon when Nascimento-Depina called her into his room and proceeded to rape and assault her.

On Aug. 1, 2018, workers from the state's Department of Children and Families conducted a home visit and asked the victim how things were going.

She then disclosed the sexual abuse, resulting in police being called and an investigation started that eventually led to Nascimento-Depina's arrest.

“I am very pleased the jury held the defendant accountable for this very perverted and violent conduct committed against the young victim," said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

"He took advantage of his relationship with the victim to sexually abuse her," he added. "I commend the victim for having the courage to come forward."

The D.A.'s office noted in a release that the victim's mother told the judge in open court during victim impact statements, "This is justice."

Prosecutors had asked for a 15 to 20 year state prison sentence along with a 10-year supervised probationary period upon his release due to the egregious facts of the case, according to the office.