PITTSFIELD — A New York City man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for raping a girl in 2017 in Lee.
David Gonzalez, 69, of Staten Island, N.Y., was convicted last week in Berkshire Superior Court in connection with the incident, which prosecutors said took place in July 2017.
The victim and her family delivered impact statements during a sentencing hearing Wednesday. In a prepared statement, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue called Gonzalez a “pedophile” whose “despicable” actions caused lifelong harm.
“This victim and her immediate family had their lives permanently altered by the heinous, violent act at the hands of a pedophile,” Shugrue said in a statement. “Abuse on children impacts them for essentially the entirety of their lives. Those who harm children deserve to be held accountable to the greatest extent possible.”
The case was launched following a disclosure by the victim, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Gonzalez had been extradited to Berkshire County last year after serving a prison sentence in New York for molesting three girls under the age of 11. He pleaded not guilty in the Massachusetts case in March 2023 and was held without bail while awaiting trial.
He was convicted on charges of rape of a child with force and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
Judge Maureen Hogan on Wednesday sentenced Gonzalez to 18 to 20 years in state prison for the rape conviction and 9 to 10 years for the indecent assault charge, to be served concurrently.
The case was prosecuted by Andrew Giarolo, chief of the Child Abuse Unit, and Kristen Rapkowicz served as victim witness advocate.