NORTHAMPTON, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — According to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, Ezequiel Torres of Holyoke has been sentenced to state prison after pleading guilty to a sexual assault incident that took place in Northampton last year.

Torres, 38, has been sentenced to 6.5 to 8.5 years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Jane Mulqueen.

From the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

Man sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault

NORTHAMPTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced to state prison after admitting he sexually assaulted a woman in Northampton last year.

Ezequiel Torres, 38, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Hampshire Superior Court to felony counts 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, adopting the sentence jointly recommended by Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington and defense attorney Jack Godleski of Greenfield.

The crimes occurred in February 2024 when Torres and the survivor were acquaintances living in different homeless shelters in Northampton. In court Wednesday, Torres admitted that after spending some time together, he offered to give the victim a ride to the shelter, but that he stopped at two parking lots in Northampton where he sexually assaulted her, and later he tried to intimidate her from disclosing the sexual assaults.

The woman immediately reported the sexual assaults to a manager at the shelter, who subsequently called the police.

ADA Covington said a lengthy state prison sentence that includes mandatory registration with the Sex Offender Registry Board was appropriate given the nature of the crimes. As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth dropped charges of aggravated rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery.

“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,” said ADA Covington.

He credited Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Reid with working closely with the survivor throughout the proceedings and Northampton Police Detectives Lauren Bolduc and Kevin Cook with conducting investigations that gathered key evidence and secured successful convictions.