ORANGE – A Haverhill man has been sentenced on charges related to the sexual assault of his partner while he was living in Athol, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.
Joseph Richard, 43, was convicted on April 2 by a jury in Orange District Court following a two-day trial. He was found guilty of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and violation of an abuse prevention order.
Judge Gregory Teran sentenced Richard to two and a half years in jail, the maximum sentence allowed in district court, followed by 18 months of probation. He also will be required to register as a sex offender.
The offenses occurred in 2024 while Richard resided in Athol, according to the DA’s Office. He was found to have sexually assaulted his intimate partner and later contacted the person in violation of a court-issued restraining order.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jillian Parent and Alexander Keir, with support provided to the survivor by Victim Witness Deputy Director Kim Devine. Richard was represented by Attorney Scott Gleason of Haverhill.
“We want to thank the survivor who came forward and recounted these crimes on the witness stand. Their courage and commitment to the truth played an important role in ensuring that justice was achieved,” Parent said in a statement. “We also extend our appreciation to Athol Police Detective Douglas Kaczmarczyk and Officer Steven Adams for their investigative work on this case.”