Taunton man found guilty of luring neighbor into his home to rape her

A Taunton man who prosecutors say lured his neighbor into his home to rape her in 2023 was found guilty on assault and kidnapping charges last week, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

On Friday, a Fall River Superior Court jury convicted 49-year-old Patrick Pesante on charges of kidnapping, assault with intent to rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, the district attorney’s office said in a press release. A judge sentenced him to 13 to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of probation.

On the evening of Aug. 22, 2023, Pesante lured his 45-year-old neighbor into his apartment by falsely claiming that his mother had died and he needed help booking a hotel room, the district attorney’s office said. His neighbor refused at first,