ORANGE — On April 2, 2026, a former Athol resident was convicted in Orange District Court following a two-day jury trial on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and violation of an abuse prevention order.
According to Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan’s office, Joseph Richard, 43, of Haverhill, was found guilty of sexually assaulting his intimate partner in 2024 while he was living in Athol and later contacting the victim in violation of a court-issued restraining order.
Richard was sentenced by Judge Gregory Teran to two and a half years in the House of Correction, the maximum sentence allowed in District Court, followed by 18 months of probation. Richard will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office reported that the case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jillian Parent and Alexander Keir, with support from 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,” Assistant District Attorney Parent said. “We also extend our appreciation to Athol Police Detective Douglas Kaczmarczyk and Officer Steven Adams for their investigative work on this case.”