$5,000 bail for Boston man charged with sexual assault on patient at Albany Street homeless healthcare facility

BOSTON, September 9, 2022—A Boston man with a lengthy history of break-ins and assaults was arraigned last month on charges that he sexually assaulted a patient last April at the Barbara McInnis House, an Albany Street facility that provides healthcare for homeless individuals, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

JOAQUIM FORTES, 51, was arraigned in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court on August 24 on three charges of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. Judge James Coffey set bail at $5,000 and ordered Fortes to stay away from the victim and the Barbara McInnis House.

Assistant District Attorney Brianna Callahan said that on April 1, Fortes on three separate occasions entered the room of the victim, who is legally blind and suffers from multiple sclerosis.  The victim told police that Fortes placed his penis in the victim’s hand each time he entered the room. While the victim indicated some confusion about the first two incidents due to grogginess, the third time Fortes entered the room the victim chased him out. 

Surveillance video secured by police shows Fortes standing in the victim’s doorway, then entering and leaving the victim’s room three separate times.  The video also shows the victim chasing Fortes from the room after the third encounter. 

“This victim deserves enormous credit for cooperating with police and helping them put together enough information to arrest the person responsible for these assaults,” Hayden said.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications