Former New Bedford man gets 10 years in prison for raping children, was on the run for 17 years By Nick Stoico Globe Correspondent,Updated May 7, 2021, 10:55 a.m. Email to a Friend A former New Bedford man who spent 17 years on the run from authorities pleaded guilty to child rape charges last month and will serve 10 years in prison, the Bristol district attorneyâs office said Friday. John Rodrigues, 61, who fled the state in 2000 and was taken into custody in 2017, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child with force, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, and one count of attempted indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, according to a statement from District Attorney Thomas Quinnâs office.