North Adams Man Sentenced To State Prison for Rape, Assault

03:40PM / Monday, October 20, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Friday, Oct. 17 Aaron Shepperd, 37 of North Adams, pleaded guilty to the following charges:

3 counts of Rape of a Child with Force
1 count of Indecent Assault and Battery of a Child Under 14
1 Count of Indecent Assault and Battery of a Child Over 14

Shepperd was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in State Prison.

"My thoughts today are with the young survivor. I commend them [singular] for the tremendous courage displayed throughout the entirety of the investigation," District Attorney Shugrue stated. "While no prison sentence will ever undo the harm that was done, I do hope that today's conclusion provides an opportunity to move forward."

"I was pleased that this case was quickly resolved thus allowing the survivor of the assault to avoid having to testify in court about the abuse they [singular] endured by the Defendant."

The Defendant raped and assaulted a child over a period of approximately three years.

Chief of the Child Abuse Unit Andrew Giarolo represented the Commonwealth. Ian Benoit served as the Victim Witness Advocate on behalf of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. The North Adams Police Department served as the lead law enforcement agency investigating the case.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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