New Bedford man convicted of child sexual abuse

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A New Bedford man was convicted last week of raping and molesting an underage female relative and the friend of another underage female relative and sentenced to 23 to 30 years in state prison.

Joel Berberena, 35, was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape of a child-aggravated by age difference, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, and one count each of rape of a child by force and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14.

New Bedford police were alerted to the accusations against Berberena in November of 2020 after a 12-year-old girl told her mother that he had digitally raped and molested her three times.

These incidents occurred when the victim stayed over the house of the defendant’s relative.

Forensic interviews revealed that the defendant was repeatedly digitally raping and sexually molesting another female relative when she was between the ages of 12 and 15.

Both victims testified during Berberena’s trial.