TEACHER CHARGED WITH RAPE OF 14 YEAR-OLD

• • 

  • Former Brockton High teacher of year falls from grace

• By Michele Morgan Bolton And Joseph Markman
  ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITERS 
  Posted Nov. 1, 2014 @ 10:40 pm
  Updated Nov 1, 2014 at 10:43 PM 
  
  

  BROCKTON – Joaquim Andrade was Brockton High School’s Teacher of the Year twice in the past seven years and was the Cape Verdean Association’s Man of the Year in 2011, according to his lawyer.

  But on Friday, in a dramatic fall from grace, the 56-year-old bilingual science educator was arrested and charged with the forcible rape of one of his 14-year-old students, a girl in his English as a Second Language Class.

  And the alleged victim may not be alone, prosecutors said during his arraignment.

  Andrade has been charged with rape with force, aggravated rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child over 14 and enticement of a child under 16.

  He was accused by Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Amanda Fowle of drawing in the alleged victim with a fake Facebook profile and online chats about soccer before going to her house on Oct. 7, persuading her to get in his car and then sexually abusing her at several locations.

  Fowle told District Judge John Canavan that the investigation by Brockton police has yielded at least one other female student who talked to Andrade on Facebook and to whom he also gave a ride.

  She said that student alleges Andrade, who lives in Scituate, touched her leg while in his car and that he offered her money for sex, which she refused. No charges have been filed in that case.

  Andrade’s attorney, Adamo Lanza, could not be reached on Saturday. But he was insistent in court on Friday that his client would be vindicated.

  “He is going to vehemently oppose these charges,” Lanza said at the time.

  Andrade was being held on $20,000 cash bail. His status couldn’t be confirmed on Saturday.

  The investigation and subsequent arrest has rocked the community, where the 23-year teacher, soccer coach and mentor – a married father of four – has spent much of his time.

  “Jack is a great person and I’m somewhat in shock that he could be accused,’’ said Brockton City Councilor-at-Large Moises Rodrigues.

  Rodrigues said he has known Andrade since they attended Brockton High School together, he in the Class of 1980, and Andrade a year behind.

  Andrade may live in Scituate, “but he spends 90 percent of his time in Brockton,” Rodrigues said.

  “Devastated” for his friend, Rodrigues said he’s equally devastated for the alleged victim “who deserves our support.”

  Sometimes a teacher who seems too good to be true “is” too good to be true, said Wendy Murphy, a nationally recognized expert on sex crimes and child abuse, and a former prosecutor.