NORTHAMPTON — A Holyoke man was sentenced to state prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges stemming from a sexual assault that occurred in Northampton in February 2024.
Ezequiel Torres, 38, admitted in Hampshire Superior Court to charges of indecent assault and battery, kidnapping, and intimidation of a witness. Superior Court Judge Jane Mulqueen sentenced Torres to 6 ½ to 8 ½ years in state prison, a sentence that was jointly recommended by Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington and defense attorney Jack Godleski.
According to the facts presented in court, Torres and the survivor were acquaintances living in different homeless shelters in Northampton at the time of the incident. Torres admitted that after spending time together, he offered the victim a ride to her shelter. Instead, he stopped at two parking lots in Northampton where he sexually assaulted her. He later attempted to intimidate her to prevent her from disclosing the assaults.
The woman reported the assaults immediately to a manager at her shelter, who subsequently contacted the police.
As part of the plea agreement, the commonwealth dropped charges of aggravated rape and two additional counts of indecent assault and battery. Covington said in a statement that the agreed-upon prison sentence, which includes mandatory registration with the Sex Offender Registry Board, was appropriate given the nature of the crimes.
“The survivor was exceptionally brave for coming forward and immediately reporting these crimes to the police, which led to crucial evidence gathering that helped secure convictions,” Covington stated.
Covington also credited Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Reid for supporting the survivor throughout the proceedings, and Northampton Police Detectives Lauren Bolduc and Kevin Cook for their investigations, which gathered key evidence leading to the conviction.