manslaughter, rape charges in 2018 death of 11-year-old girl 

              Local News                      Lawrence man pleads guilty to manslaughter, rape charges in 2018 death of 11-year-old girl                                                                By CBSBoston.com Staff                                    August 11, 2022 / 5:55 PM          / CBS Boston                                                                                                                                                                            

LAWRENCE -- A Lawrence man changed his plea to guilty on Thursday for the 2018 death of an 11-year-old Haverhill girl.

62-year-old Miguel Rivera now faces up to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter, aggravated rape, and drug charges.

Police were called to a home on Jackson Street in Lawrence in December of 2018 and found the girl unresponsive. She later died at Tufts Medical Center.

Prosecutors said Rivera regularly babysat the girl at his Lawrence home, but on one sleepover night, she fell ill and died. An autopsy revealed a drugging and sexual assault of the sixth grader. 

Her mother took the stand on Thursday during the victim impact statements.

"I trusted him to the extent I considered him my best friend," she said in court. "I trusted him with my life and my children, who not only loved him but looked up to him as well and always anticipated spending time with him. He took something very valuable to me and my children. And for that, I have no forgiveness."

The Essex County DA's office said had the case gone to trial, evidence would have proved Rivera raped the girl and gave her drugs that caused her death.