Former Rhode Island DCYF Social Worker Charged With Felony Sexual Assault of Teen

Pawtucket, Rhode Island — A former social worker for the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families has been charged with felony third-degree sexual assault under a state law aimed at adults who hold a position of authority over a teenager, according to the Providence Journal and The Boston Globe.

Pawtucket police charged Kimberly Raposa, 45, of West Warwick, on Nov. 2, the Providence Journal reported. She appeared the same day before District Court Judge Stephen Isherwood, was released on personal recognizance and was ordered not to contact the alleged victim. The Globe reported that she was arraigned in District Court in Providence.

What happened

The Globe reported that Raposa is charged with having sex with a teenager under her authority. According to a court complaint cited by the Globe, the charge is third-degree sexual assault of a teen between 16 and 18 years old. Raposa has not been convicted, and the charge is an allegation.

Few other details are public. The Providence Journal reported that the Pawtucket police report, released in response to an open records request, is heavily redacted, including the circumstances of the arrest and information about the alleged victim. Neither outlet reported when the alleged conduct took place.

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Neither outlet reported how Raposa knew the teen, or whether the teen was in DCYF care, on her caseload or connected to the agency in any way. The Globe’s report does not specify what kind of supervision or authority was involved. FAN has not been able to confirm any connection between the alleged victim and DCYF.

The law behind the charge

The charge falls under a 2022 Rhode Island law that makes it a crime for a person in a position of authority to have sexual contact with a teen over 14 and under 18 who is under their supervision, the Globe reported. The Providence Journal reported that the statute covers an accused who has supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim by virtue of legal, professional or occupational status, or who is otherwise acting in a position of authority.

A conviction carries up to five years in prison, according to the Globe. The paper reported that lawmakers sponsored the bill after accusations against longtime North Kingstown High School basketball coach Aaron Thomas, who was convicted in 2025 of two misdemeanor battery charges and sentenced to a year of probation.

What DCYF and others are saying

Raposa had worked as a social worker at DCYF since 2020 and earned about $88,000 in fiscal year 2025, according to the state transparency portal, the Providence Journal reported. DCYF spokesman Jonathan Darling said she no longer works for the agency. Neither outlet reported when or why she left, and the Globe reported that the department declined to comment on the allegations themselves.

These allegations are extremely troubling and stand in direct violation of our agency’s core mission

Jonathan Darling, DCYF spokesman, to the Providence Journal

Service Employees International Union Local 580, which represents DCYF workers, said Raposa is no longer a member. Her lawyer, John Grasso, declined to comment to both outlets.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s office said the case remains open. “This investigation is ongoing, and therefore we have no comment,” spokesman Timothy Rondeau told the Providence Journal.

What remains unanswered

The public record in this case is thin by design. The police report is heavily redacted, DCYF has not said when Raposa’s employment ended or whether the agency learned of the allegations before police did, and no outlet has reported whether the alleged victim had any contact with the agency. Those are basic questions for a department whose workers are given access to vulnerable children and families. No future court date had been reported as of Nov. 7.

Child welfare agencies hold extraordinary power over the families they investigate, and their employees often work with little outside scrutiny. When an agency worker is accused of a crime, families deserve to know whether the agency’s own oversight failed and what it knew. Parents with concerns about a caseworker can learn how to document and escalate them in FAN’s guide to filing a CPS complaint.

Key facts

• Kimberly Raposa, 45, of West Warwick, was charged by Pawtucket police on Nov. 2, 2026, with felony third-degree sexual assault.
• The charge falls under a 2022 Rhode Island law covering people in a position of authority over teens over 14 and under 18.
• A court complaint cited by The Boston Globe describes the alleged victim as between 16 and 18 years old.
• She was released on personal recognizance and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.
• Raposa worked as a DCYF social worker from 2020; DCYF says she no longer works there.
• Published reports do not say how the teen was connected to Raposa or to DCYF; the police report is heavily redacted.
• The Attorney General’s office says the investigation is ongoing. A conviction carries up to five years in prison.

Sources

• Providence Journal — Former RI DCYF social worker charged with third-degree sexual assault (2026-11-07)
• The Boston Globe — Former R.I. social worker accused of sex with a teen under her authority (2026-11-06)

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