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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Lanesborough Seeks State Support for Berkshire Mall Redevelopment

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
05:58PM / Monday, October 12, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town plans to petition the state to take ownership of the Route 7/Route 8 Connector Road, which officials believe is a "critical component" of the Berkshire Mall’s redevelopment strategy.

On Tuesday, the Select Board approved a letter to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to request their support for the vacant mall's redevelopment by helping advance transfer of the Route 7/Route 8 connector and considering funding for essential infrastructure.

"We have held discussions with the Baker Hill Road District … which will take the necessary steps to formally petition the commonwealth to take over ownership of the Route 7, Route 8 connector…Your continued support in facilitating this transfer is greatly appreciated," the letter says.

Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings has said the potential sale and redevelopment of the mall hinges on dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, a condition of the agreement that, if unmet, would render the contract null and void.

As a result, the mall will continue to deteriorate and the litigation will proceed forward, said Tim Grogan, of JMJ.

Vera Farrell, the liaison to the Baker Hill Road District, said the district board had discussed at one of its most recent meetings that the connector road could be transferred directly to the state, rather than returned to the town; Barrett and Mark were also a part of the discussion.

"The representatives recommended that as an option, that it could transfer the connector road directly to the state, as opposed to deeding it back to the town to dispense it. If we get to that point, that would be a better option to do it that way," Farrell said.

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