Christina Machado, 26, of Fall River, had been descried by the state's Department of Social Services as providing "a model foster home."

01:00 AM EST on Saturday, April 3, 2004

BY MICHAEL P. McKINNEY
Journal Staff Writer

FALL RIVER -- A Fall River foster mother, arraigned on charges of raping a 15-year-old girl in her custody, had previous

ly been viewed by the state Department of Social Services as offering a "model foster home," according to a department spokeswoman.

Christina Machado, 26, of 465 Walnut St., was arrested Wednesday on two counts of rape and released on $5,000 cash bail that day, according to Bernard Sullivan, spokesman for the Bristol County Sheriff's Department.

Machado pleaded not guilty at Wednesday's arraignment in Fall River District Court.

The court has assigned Machado's defense to Fall River lawyer Joseph Czerwonka, his office confirmed.

Denise Monteiro, a state Department of Social Services spokeswoman, said the agency received a call on its hot line about two or three weeks ago about the accusations. Monteiro said DSS immediately investigated.

"Because of the nature of the allegations, because it's actually physical or sexual abuse, one of the parties must leave the home" as soon as the investigation begins, Monteiro said by phone yesterday. "The foster mother decided she would move out.

"At this point, we take every allegation seriously until it is proven or unproven."

Specifics of the alleged crime could not be determined. Case details involving sexual assault are not made public in court before a trial.

Machado has been a foster mother since 1996, Monteiro said. She also has two children of her own and another foster child in her care.

The 15-year-old girl who has accused Machado of rape had been in several foster homes before moving in to Machado's home in September 2002.

"We finished our report and forwarded it to the Fall River police, who were also investigating. They saw fit enough to arrest her," Monteiro said. "Until this allegation, they have been a model foster home . . . There was no red flag."

Monteiro said by phone yesterday that over some two weeks, DSS investigators found no witnesses to the alleged crime. It could not be determined yesterday if the police, which investigate separately, had found witnesses.

To contact Mike McKinney, call (508) 674-8401 or e-mail mmckinne@projo.com.