An Amherst man has been slapped with a 6 to 7 year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl over a span of four years, the Northwestern District Attorney's office said. Kemal Banatte, 44, owned up to his heinous acts in Hampshire Superior Court yesterday, admitting to statutory rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, as well as witness intimidation.
According to the Northwestern DA's news release, the horrific assaults took place between 2015 and 2019 at an Amherst residence, targeting a girl between the ages of 12 and 15, Banatte knew the victim and the abused child brought the ordeal to the attention of the police in March 2022, which eventually led to Banatte's arrest and conviction. Judge Edward McDonough imposed the sentence which had been jointly proposed by the prosecution and the defense, Banatte will also face 5 years of supervised probation after his release.
Banatte is also required to register as a sex offender, pay restitution to the victim and provide a DNA sample as part of his probation conditions, as a result of the legal proceedings, some charges, including three counts of indecent assault and battery and three counts of larceny, were dropped by the Commonwealth in exchange for Banatte's guilty plea.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington commended the "tremendous strength" of the survivor for reporting the sexual assaults and encouraged others who have suffered to do the same, the DA's office praised the Amherst Police Department for their detailed work on the case Covington also pointed out that the survivor was in support of the sentence, expressing relief that the case was resolved without the need to endure a trial.
