A Pawtucket, Rhode Island man, Joao Gomes, 49, was indicted on multiple charges of rape and indecent assault and battery linked to the sexual assault of a female inmate. The incidents took place while he served as a Corrections Officer at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Framingham, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan. Announced on Thursday, the indictment includes allegations that Gomes also provided prohibited items, namely underwear, to prisoners.
According to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, this case marks the first in the county to invoke a newly updated statute from the 2020 police reform law. This law targets sexual relations by law enforcement with individuals under their custody or control. Employed at MCI-Framingham at the time, Gomes faces a legal battle that could become precedent-setting, charged with four counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a female inmate.
The indictment asserts the charges against Gomes not only for the assault but also for three counts of delivering articles to prisoners in a corrections institution. Gomes was arrested at his home without incident, and though the court date has yet to be scheduled, Gomes remains under the assumption of innocence until proven guilty as standard practice demands. Authorities conducted the arrest, having been assisted by the Rhode Island State Police and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section.
The statement from the District Attorney's office elaborates that the ongoing investigation encompasses cooperation from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, and the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Megan McGovern, with Renee Leone serving as the Victim Witness Advocate.
