32-year-old man sentenced to 7 years in prison for raping a minor in the United States

Erickson Barbosa, a 32-year-old Brockton resident, pleaded guilty on October 24, 2025 and was sentenced on October 27, 2025 in Fall River Superior Court on child rape charges. The defendant was sentenced to serve 7 years in state prison, followed by 5 years of probation upon release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith.

In February 2020, the victim, a 14-year-old girl, was walking in a Taunton park with her 16-year-old sister. The defendant approached them in his vehicle and asked for their Snapchat details. Shortly afterwards, he began communicating with the victim on the social network. Barbosa arranged to meet the minor around April 4, 2020.

The defendant picked up the victim a few houses away from her home at 4 a.m., and the two drove around while smoking marijuana. The victim had indicated that she was 16, although the defendant questioned this and referred to her older sister, who really was 16. Inside the vehicle, Barbosa raped the minor.

He then dropped her off near her home. The victim and the defendant continued to exchange messages on Snapchat and met in person on another date, without any physical interaction. Around April 20, 2020, Barbosa picked up the victim at 5 a.m., provided her with marijuana and raped her again in the vehicle.

Communications on Snapchat persisted. Screenshots recovered show statements by the victim that she did not consent to sex and that there was a physical struggle. The prosecution also obtained phone calls made by the defendant from the House of Correction, in which he admits to having had sex with the victim.

While the case was ongoing, the defendant fled the state in October 2024 and was captured shortly after by US Marshals in Florida and extradited back to Massachusetts. Barbosa is a citizen of Cape Verde.

"The defendant, who was not legally in the country, raped the 14-year-old victim and needs to be kept off the streets. He should be deported as soon as he is released from custody," stated district attorney Tom Quinn.