4 Former Juvenile Detention Workers Convicted Of Abusing Teens

BOSTON, MA — Four former youth workers at the Casa Isla juvenile facility on Long Island were convicted Wednesday on charges of beating, sexually assaulting, and threatening four teenage boys.

Jurors found Jalise Andrade, 37, of Brockton, Silvio Depina, 40, of Brockton, Herman Jospeh, 28, of Taunton and Ainsley LaRoche, 44, of Roxbury on 19 counts occurring between April and August 2014.

The four men were employees of Volunteers of America, which at the time, was a contractor with the the Department of Youth Services. Volunteers of America provided residential assistance with juveniles in DYS custody.

“These verdicts reflect unconscionable behavior by adults who abused and violated the young people in their care,” Suffolk District Attorney John Pappas said. “But the verdicts also reflect the courage of those young people, who stood up against threats and intimidation to disclose the abuse. And they reflect absolutely tireless work by prosecutors, victim advocates, and State troopers to build this case and ensure the victims’ voices were heard loud and clear.”

Prosecutors showed evidence that the teens were repeatedly victims of an abuse known as "orange chicken." "Orange chicken," as described by Assistant District Attorney Sarah Stancato McEvoy, is the act of pulling a victim's pants down and beating them with an orange sandal.

According to prosecutors, the victims were threatened if they told anyone about the abuse, The defendants told the boys they would be harmed even if they were removed from Casa Isla because the defendants knew staffers at other programs, prosecutors said.

The charges the defendants were convicted on include:

• Andrade was convicted of one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
• Depina was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and battery, three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count each of witness intimidation and threats to commit a crime.
• Joseph was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery and one count each of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and threats to commit a crime.
• LaRoche was found guilty of three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of threats to commit a crime.

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