A Providence man has been sentenced to nine years in state prison for child molestation, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today. Richard Hernandez Fernandez, 23, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a female victim under the age of 14 between 2016 and 2018.
At a hearing on August 22, 2024, Superior Court Justice Joseph A. Montalbano sentenced Fernandez to 25 years with nine years to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) and a 16-year suspended sentence, along with 25 years of probation. The defendant is required to register as a sex offender, complete sex offender counseling, and comply with all statutory requirements related to sex offender registration, including lifetime GPS monitoring.
“Sexual assaults against children are the source of tremendous trauma for victims,” said Attorney General Neronha. “I am grateful to this victim for coming forward and seeking justice against the perpetrator of these terrible crimes. I would like to thank the Providence Police Department for their diligent efforts during the investigation of this case, and in so many others.”
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on multiple occasions between 2016 and 2018, Fernandez sexually assaulted a female victim under the age of 14 at a residence in Providence.
“Cases involving the sexual assault of children are some of the most difficult investigations conducted by the men and women of the Providence Police Department,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. “I thank the Office of the Attorney General for their prosecution of this case and the members of the Providence Police for their diligence in seeking justice for victims of horrific crimes. I hope that this sentence will bring some semblance of peace to the victim involved.”
Assistant Attorney General Meghan E. McDonough and Special Assistant Attorney General John F. Kilpatrick led the investigation and prosecution alongside Detective Derek Ardito from the Providence Police Department.