Ex-Boston Public Schools employee sentenced to prison for rape of disabled child

BOSTON — A former Boston Public Schools employee has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a child with developmental disabilities.

Jose Melendez, 55, was sentenced Friday in Suffolk Superior Court to up to 15 years in prison after he was convicted on five counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child in May, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.

The former paraprofessional at Mario Umana Academy in East Boston “used his position of trust” to gain access to the victim, who has disabilities that impact his ability to communicate and other areas of his development, the DA’s office said.