North Adams Man Pleads Guilty to Child Assault

03:32PM / Friday, June 06, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Thursday, June 5, Jesriel Morales, 37 of North Adams, pleaded guilty to five charges in Berkshire Superior Court.

The charges are:

3 counts of Aggravated Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon on a Child
2 counts of Assault and Battery

The incident occurred in 2022. The Defendant assaulted a six-year-old child: slamming the child into a window and wall, hitting them with a belt, slapping them; and then forcing them to kneel on dried rice.

The Commonwealth requested a state prison sentence of 3 to 5 years. The defense sought probation or a suspended sentence. Judge Hodge sentenced the Defendant to 2 ½ years in the Berkshire House of Corrections for the two counts of Aggravated Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon on a Child and two years of probation on and after for the two counts of Assault and Battery. The Judge also placed conditions on Morales including no contact with the victim and an order to participate in the Fatherhood program.

"I am pleased with the guilty plea," District Attorney Shugrue said. "Jesriel Morales preyed on the most innocent member of society. Today my thoughts are with the very young victim. I hope this conclusion provides them (singular) some peace and feeling of safety and security.""

Chief of the Child Abuse Unit, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Giarolo represented the Commonwealth. Kristen Rapkowicz served as the Victim Witness Advocate on behalf of the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office. North Adams Police served as the lead law enforcement agency.

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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.

"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."

The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.

The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.

The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.

Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said.

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