Brockton man allegedly in U.S. illegally sentenced to prison for raping 14-year-old girl

A Brockton man originally from Cape Verde was sentenced to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl in 2020, prosecutors said.

Erickson Barbosa, 32, was also sentenced to five years of probation after his release from prison, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office. Barbosa pleaded guilty Oct. 24 and was sentenced Oct. 27 in Fall River Superior Court.

Barbosa first made contact with the victim in February 2020 when she was walking in a Taunton park with her 16-year-old sister, the DA’s office said. He approached them in his car, asked for their Snapchat information, and started talking to the victim over Snapchat shortly thereafter.

On or about April 4, 2020, Barbosa picked up the victim at about 4 a.m. a few houses down from her residence, and the two drove around together and smoked marijuana. Though the victim told Barbosa she was 16 years old, he questioned this claim and pointed out that her older sister was 16, according to prosecutors.

Barbosa raped the victim while they were in his vehicle, and he then dropped her off close to her home. The two continued to exchange Snapchat messages and later met up again “with no physical interaction occurring,” according to the DA’s office.

On or about April 20, 2020, Barbosa picked the victim up at about 5 a.m. and raped her a second time while in his vehicle. He also provided marijuana to the victim, and after that night, the two again continued to talk over Snapchat, the DA’s office said.

Prosecutors recovered screenshots of conversations depicting the victim’s statements that she did not consent to sex with Barbosa and that “there was a physical struggle.” They also secured calls that Barbosa placed from jail where he admitted to having sex with the victim, according to the DA’s office.

Barbosa fled to Florida in October 2024 while the case was pending but was taken into custody a short time later by the U.S. Marshals, prosecutors said. He was then extradited back to Massachusetts.

Barbosa, a Cape Verdean citizen, was not in the United States legally and may face deportation after his prison term, according to the DA’s office.

“The defendant, who was not legally in this country, raped the 14-year-old victim and needs to be kept off the street,” Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said. “The defendant should be deported once he is released from custody.”

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com