A Massachusetts man convicted on a number of child sexual assault charges, was sentenced to serve up to four decades in prison on Friday, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
Earlier this month, Paul Mealy, 57, of Taunton, was convicted of two counts of rape of a child with force, two counts of rape of a child, one count of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery of a person under 14.
Authorities said Mealy raped a female relative "about two to three times every week for 15 years." The victim was between the ages of 5-years-old and 20-years-old when the rapes occurred, from 1984-2000.
The victim came forward in 2014 and Mealy was arrested shortly thereafter.
In addition to Mealy's lengthy state prison sentence, the judge in the case also placed him on probation for 40 years.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III released a statement thanking the jury for their verdict in the difficult case:
"I have nothing but admiration and respect for the victim’s perseverance in this case. She was abused by a relative for 15 years, which was an incredible breach of love and trust,” said Quinn. “It’s very difficult to testify against a relative, and I commend her for that. The defendant deserved this lengthy state prison sentence, which will keep him imprisoned most likely for the rest of his life.”
