A New Bedford man was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison on Thursday for molesting two young girls “thousands of times,” prosecutors announced.

Richard Cruz, 51, was convicted on Thursday of three counts of forcible rape of a child, two counts of aggravated rape of a child by age, and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release.

Cruz was sentenced to spend 40 t0 50 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

During trial, two women testified they were repeatedly sexually molested and raped by Cruz throughout their childhood, Quinn’s office said.

One victim told jurors of “countless incidents” from the years of 2000 to 2008 where Cruz sexually assaulted her, Quinn’s office said.

During the time of the assaults, the victim was between the ages of 7 and 14, the local DA said. 

A second women also told prosecutors of “many numerous incidents of rape and sexual molestation” from the years of 2015 and 2019, Quinn’s office said.

That victim was between the ages of 8 and 11 when Cruz assaulted her, the Bristol County DA said.

“Both victims recounted how, on numerous occasions, they were shown pornography by the defendant, were forced to perform sex acts on the defendant and were raped and sexually assaulted by him,” prosecutors wrote.

Both victim’s mothers were in relationships with Cruz during time of their assaults, Quinn’s office said

“The defendant molested the two young victims several thousand times which is beyond comprehension. This conduct is depraved and extremely disturbing.  I commend the victims for their courage and perseverance during the seven plus years that the case was pending,” Quinn said.

An attorney for Cruz did not respond to a request for comment Sunday night.