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Sex Offender Registration

Police & Fire
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison 'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison A 51-year-old former Athol man who pleaded guilty to raping multiple children and forcing them to make child pornography will spend at least 25 years behind bars, authorities announced.  Jose A. Oquendo pleaded guilty to 27 charges — including rape and sexual assault — on Thursday, May 30, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He was accused of abusing three children for years.  Franklin Superior Court Judge David Hodge called the Oquendo's abuse "horrific" and commended the victims for standing up in court against their abuser.  He said the sentence of 25 to 30…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Man Admits To Raping Child; Gets 6 To 7 Years In Prison: DA Western Mass Man Admits To Raping Child; Gets 6 To 7 Years In Prison: DA
Western Mass Man Admits To Raping Child; Gets 6 To 7 Years In Prison: DA A 44-year-old Hampshire County man admitted to repeatedly sexually assaulting a child, authorities said, and now he knows how long he'll spend in prison. Kemal Banatte, of Amherst, was sentenced to six to seven behind bars after he pleaded guilty to one count of statutory rape of a child, one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, and one count of witness intimidation, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Banatte admitted to raping a child he knew multiple times from 2015 until 2019…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Springfield Man Admits To Rape, Gets 3 Years In Prison: DA Springfield Man Admits To Rape, Gets 3 Years In Prison: DA
Springfield Man Admits To Rape, Gets 3 Years In Prison: DA A 32-year-old Springfield man told a Hampshire County court this week that he knew the woman he had sex with in 2021 was too drunk to consent, but he proceeded anyway, authorities said.  Michael Pope pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery, and one count of providing alcohol to a person under 21 years of age, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  Pope pleaded guilty to raping the Amherst woman in an apartment before the prosecution began, sparing the victim a trial, the prosecutor said.  Judge Jane Mulqueen se…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Ex-Westchester, Fairfield County Restaurateur Mario Batali's Sexual Misconduct Trial Starts Ex-Westchester, Fairfield County Restaurateur Mario Batali's Sexual Misconduct Trial Starts
Ex-Westchester, Fairfield County Restaurateur Mario Batali's Sexual Misconduct Trial Starts The sexual misconduct trial of celebrity chef Mario Batali, who has run restaurants in New York and Connecticut -- in Westchester and Fairfield counties -- is underway in Massachusetts. On Monday, May 9 in Boston, a woman testified that Batali, age 61, kissed and groped her while attempting to take a selfie at a Massachusetts restaurant after the chef waived his right to a jury. Related story - Ex-Westchester, Fairfield County Restaurateur Mario Batali Now Under Investigation By NY AG Instead, a judge will decide Batali’s fate at the conclusion of the trial, where proceedings are expected…

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by Zak Failla
News
Western Massachusetts Man Admits To Failing To Register As Sex Offender Western Massachusetts Man Admits To Failing To Register As Sex Offender
Western Massachusetts Man Admits To Failing To Register As Sex Offender A 34-year-old man from Western Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Berkshire County resident Jarrett Woodruff, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty on Friday, Nov. 12, to one count of failure to register as a sex offender, according to Nathaniel Mendell, acting United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Woodruff was charged in November of 2020, Mendell said.  Woodruff was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14 in August of 2018, the US Attorney's Office reported.  He had already served…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children
Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children A registered sex offender from Western Massachusetts is facing new charges for allegedly sexually exploiting children, federal authorities announced. Brian Hohman, age 57, of Sandisfield in Berkshire County was indicted this week on multiple counts of child sexual exploitation offenses, according to acting US Attorney Nathaniel Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. Specifically, Hohman was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of commission of a felony offense involving a minor when …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Who Hid From Sex Offender Registry 3 Times Gets 2 Year In Prison Man Who Hid From Sex Offender Registry 3 Times Gets 2 Year In Prison
Man Who Hid From Sex Offender Registry 3 Times Gets 2 Year In Prison A Western Massachusetts man has been sentenced to two years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender - something he had been previously convicted of twice. On Friday, March 5, Ruben Pagan, 50, of Springfield was sentenced to prison as well as 10 years of supervised release. In August 2020, Pagan had pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts, said. Pagan was arrested in 2018 in Rhode Island on a warrant for his arrest charging him with child sexual abuse. At that time, law enforcement learned Pagan, who had first been convi…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
'Aggressive Panhandling' Report Leads To Unregistered Sex Offender Arrest 'Aggressive Panhandling' Report Leads To Unregistered Sex Offender Arrest
'Aggressive Panhandling' Report Leads To Unregistered Sex Offender Arrest Police responded to a report of aggressive panhandling and found an unregistered sex offender on Monday, Dec. 21. Police were called at around 4:30 p.m. to respond to Plaza Liquors on Union Street in West Springfield for a report of “an aggressive panhandler harassing customers,” police said. When they arrived, West Springfield Police found Gregory Robert Aldridge, who is homeless in the Memorial Avenue area of West Springfield. Police had already been actively searching for Aldridge since discovering Aldridge is a registered sex offender in California allegedly in violation of the state’…

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by Kristin Palpini