A former Springfield group home worker has been ordered to serve 13 to 15 years in state prison after admitting he raped and indecently assaulted a 14-year-old resident at the Greylock group home. The case has outraged the teen’s family, put a harsh spotlight on how Massachusetts screens people who work with vulnerable kids, and helped shut down the Greylock facility. The victim’s attorney says the prison term is only one part of the family’s broader push for accountability.
As reported by Boston 25, 34-year-old Xavier Cruz pleaded guilty to rape and indecent assault and battery and received a sentence of 13 to 15 years at Souza-Baranowski State Prison. Prosecutors say Cruz groomed the 14-year-old while she was in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. During sentencing, a prosecutor told the court, “He enjoyed the attention that he received from these girls.” Boston 25 also reported that Cruz had prior convictions and was already under a 2020 Superior Court order barring him from working with elders or people with disabilities, an order the victim’s lawyer argues should have kept him far from any residential care job.
Audit Flags Gaps In State Screening
A November 25, 2024 audit by the Office of the State Auditor found that the Department of Early Education and Care was not completing all required background record checks for staff at licensed residential programs. The report also identified broader oversight gaps. Auditors recommended that EEC closely track background checks, step up licensing visits, and make sure 51A abuse and neglect investigations are wrapped up on time.
Investigations Spotlight Discretionary Approvals
Boston 25 previously found that roughly 500 home daycare providers in Greater Boston and surrounding areas had been licensed since 2020 despite open or closed criminal cases. That figure has sharpened concerns about how often the agency leans on discretionary approvals. Taken together with the auditor’s findings, the reporting has advocates calling for clearer rules and more transparency around background checks and who gets cleared to work with kids.
Family Pushes For Civil Accountability
Erica Brody, the family’s attorney, has called Cruz’s hiring “a failure at every level” and says the family has filed a sweeping lawsuit that accuses multiple parties of negligent hiring and licensing, according to Boston 25's Facebook post. The Department of Early Education and Care declined to release the specific background-check records that cleared Cruz to work at Greylock, citing its policy of not commenting on pending litigation, the post reported.
What Comes Next
The auditor’s report outlines a series of fixes meant to prevent lapses like those alleged in the Greylock case, including active oversight of background-check renewals and stronger investigation procedures, recommendations laid out by the Office of the State Auditor. Lawmakers and child-safety advocates are expected to lean on those recommendations as Cruz’s criminal case and the family’s civil lawsuit continue to move through the courts.
For now, Cruz’s prison sentence stands while the civil case plays out and advocates keep pressing for reforms aimed at closing the gaps that let him work in residential care in the first place. The case has once again put state licensing and oversight practices under the microscope as officials weigh whether tighter rules, more resources, or both are needed to better protect children in group homes.
