4 days ago
Man convicted of attempting to kidnap, rape woman on Mass. walking path
A Fall River man has been convicted of attempting to rape a woman as she walked on a rail trail in Fall River on a summer morning three years ago, prosecutors said.
Paulo Silva, 28, of Fall River, was found guilty by a Bristol Superior Court jury on Thursday of assault with intent to rape, attempted kidnapping and related charges, according to Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
A woman, then 52, said Silva accosted and attempted to sexually assault her on the Quequechan Rail Trail in Fall River on July 18, 2022.
Fall River Police were called to the path around 7 that morning, where the woman said she had noticed Silva interacting with a pregnant woman. As she walked past the pair, Silva began to follow the woman, she said.
He grabbed her arm and began to push her off the trail and toward a grassy embankment of the Quequechan River, while 'verbally indicating he was going to sexually assault her,' according to prosecutors. The woman screamed for help, and Silva ran away as two people nearby rushed to the commotion.
Fall River detectives viewed surveillance video showing Silva entering his car at the trailhead soon after the incident.
He later told the investigators he had tried to obtain the phone number of a woman walking on the trail.
Silva admitted to grabbing the victim as she strode past and pulling her toward the embankment. He indicated to police that he planned to sexually assault the woman, but released her and ran when she called for help, prosecutors said.
'It is extremely concerning that a woman can't even enjoy a morning walk without being attacked,' Quinn said in a statement. 'The defendant also approached and harassed a pregnant woman before trying to rape the victim. The defendant poses a clear danger to the public and does not belong on the street.'
Silva was sentenced Friday to between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years in state prison, followed by two years of probation, according to Quinn's office.
The sentence was shorter than the one sought by assistant district attorneys Kalene Kobza and Gillian Kirsch, who prosecuted the case and requested that Silva be locked up for seven to 12 years.
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