North Adams Man Sentenced To State Prison On Rape Charges

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UPDATE ON 06132025: On Wednesday, June 11, Austin Miller-Robinson was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in State Prison for the charges of Aggravated Rape of a Child with Force and Rape and Abuse of a Child Aggravated by Age Difference. 
 
Miller-Robinson was found guilty of these crimes by a jury of his peers on June 4th.
 
District Attorney Shugrue, co-founder of the Kids' Place Child Advocacy Center, stated: "This is an important victory for the children and citizens of Berkshire County. I will always advocate for the strongest possible penalties under the law for anyone who harms our children."
 
District Attorney Shugrue requested the crimes be sentenced to the maximum sentenced and be served consecutively. 
 
"While the sentence is less than my request, and the criminal penalties are to be served concurrently, the 18-to-20-year sentence is substantial. Today is a good day for the children in the Berkshires," he said.
 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On Wednesday, June 4 Austin Miller-Robinson, 29 of North Adams, was found guilty of three crimes by a jury of his peers in Berkshire Superior Court. 

 
The Defendant was found guilty of:
  • Aggravated Rape of a Child with Force
  • Rape and Abuse of a Child Aggravated by Age Difference
Aggravated Rape of a Child with Force carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years. Rape and Abuse of a Child Aggravated by Age Difference carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years.
 
Austin Miller-Robinson raped a three-year-old child in July 4, 2019. He was 23 years old at the time.
 
"While we are pleased with today's verdict, it brings to light the horrific abuse that exists in the fringes of society. This guilty verdict provides a measure of justice for an innocent child who endured unimaginable harm at the hands of an adult," District Attorney Shugrue said. "It is my hope that today begins the process of closure for the victim's family and an opportunity for healing and moving forward."
 
He continued, "I also want to recognize the immense dedication of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office Child Abuse Unit. The prosecution of child abuse day in and day out is incredibly difficult. Their commitment to bringing justice on behalf of their young victims is admirable work that few can handle."
 
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 Department served as the lead law enforcement agency on the case supported by the Berkshire District Attorney's State Police Detective Unit, Kids' Place, and the multi-disciplinary team led by Emily Zoltan.
 
Sentencing will take place in Berkshire Superior Court on Wednesday, June 11.
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Bread-Baking Appliance Designer Moving to Mass MoCA Campus

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Commission welcomed bread-baking appliance designers Brod & Taylor to the campus on Monday.
 
The commission voted to bring Brod & Taylor to Building 1. Owner Michael Taylor, who called into the remote meeting, said the space will primarily be used for photography and content creation to promote their products, with an overarching philosophy of growing the bread-baking community.
 
"The genesis of the whole business of this company is to really get more people involved in bread baking," Taylor said. "We think it is something that is good for individuals and good for society; the more people that bake bread the better people are off in the world. We are looking for ways to make connections between people and the community based on bread baking."
 
The 1,500-square-foot space was built out for the company and will include a home kitchen and a microbakery.
 
Taylor said the company started in 2010 and operated out of Williamstown, above the Purple Pub.
 
"It was a business that brewed slowly in the teens but since COVID, sourdough bread sort of became the center of the world. We have expanded rapidly," Taylor said, adding that the company employs around 15 employees who work in the area.
 
Two years ago, they moved to the Norad Mill in North Adams but found the space too noisy to accommodate filming and content creation, Taylor said.
 
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