Former East Boston Deacon Guilty of Sexual Assault

A former East Boston deacon that once worked at two neighborhood parishes back in the 1980s pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three children and will serve four years in prison.

Deacon Ricardo Gonzalez pleaded guilty back on March 11 to sexually assaulting the three victims between the ages of 12 and 14 during the 1990s at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Eastie.

In all he pled guilty to 10 counts of Rape, Indecent Assault and Battery of a Child Under the Age of 14 and Unlawful Dissemination of a Matter Harmful to Minors. Subsequent to release, Gonzalez must stay away children under the age of 16, register as a sex offender, remain alcohol free and undergo a mental health evaluation to determine treatment.

Prosecutors recommended 10 years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation. A judge sentenced him to seven and a half years in a house of correction followed by seven years of probation.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney spokesman, Jake Wark, for procedural reasons Gonzalez moved for a re-sentencing and was granted one on April 30. He got four years in a house of correction followed by five years of probation.

“The victims knew the defendant as an adult involved in school or church, though he was not a teacher or a priest – he worked in an administrative role,” said Wark. “The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Keeley and the defense attorney was Kelly Cusack.”

In a statement after the sentencing last week the victim’s attorney, Mitchell Garabedian said he represented two brave male sexual abuse victims who were complainants in the criminal case against Deacon Ricardo Gonzalez who at the time was affiliated with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Eastie.

“My clients were sexually abused beginning in approximately 1993 to 1995 when the victims were approximately 12 to 14 years old,” said Garabedian. “Ricardo Gonzales would sexually abuse the children at a variety of places such as hotels, sporting events, restrooms and Mr. Gonzalez’s home across from the Donald McKay school. The sexual abuse committed by Mr. Gonzalez had no boundaries and has left everlasting pain in the hearts and minds of his sexual abuse victims. Once again, one has to wonder how many sexual abuse victims of Mr. Gonzalez exist and why the supervisors of Mr. Gonzales failed to properly supervise Mr. Gonzalez.”

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D. of Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families, said he was pleased with the guilty plea of Deacon Ricardo Gonzalez to 10 counts of child sexual rape and abuse.

“The courageous victims who came forward to level allegations against Ricardo Gonzalez are heroes, and hopefully many other victims of Ricardo Gonzalez and other sexual abusers will come forward so their road to recovery can commence and healing can take place,” he said. “Knowing that Deacon/Priest Assistant Ricardo Gonzalez will spend six and half years in prison should give his victims a sense of justice, closure, and safety. We applaud the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for prosecuting this case and helping to make the world a safer place for all.”