NEW YORK. — A Staten Island man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in state prison after being found guilty of raping a child during a 2017 incident in the Berkshires, prosecutors announced.
David Gonzalez, 68, was convicted by a Berkshire Superior Court jury of Rape of a Child with Force and Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14. On July 23, Judge John Agostini sentenced Gonzalez to 18 to 20 years for the rape charge and 9 to 10 years for the indecent assault charge, to run concurrently.
The charges stem from a July 2017 assault that occurred while Gonzalez was visiting the region. The victim and her family delivered impact statements during sentencing, describing the lasting trauma caused by the attack.
The prosecution had sought the full 18-to-20-year sentence for the rape charge, which the court granted. The defense had requested a total sentence of 10 years for both charges.
“This victim and her immediate family had their lives permanently altered by the heinous, violent act at the hands of a pedophile,” said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, who praised the victim’s courage and her family’s support.
Gonzalez will serve his sentence in a Massachusetts state prison.