William Parker, 65, formerly of Agawam, has been sentenced to state prison after a Hampden County jury convicted him of multiple child sex offenses. Following a three-day trial in early June, the court handed down a 12-to-14-year state prison term on three counts of aggravated rape of a child, along with a concurrent 10-to-12-year sentence for posing or photographing a child in a state of nudity. The remaining counts carry three years of probation.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts on June 2, and the judge imposed the sentence on June 3 in Hampden Superior Court, according to the Hampden District Attorney. The victim was between 7 and 11 years old when the abuse took place, the office said, and later disclosed the assaults to a friend before the case was reported to Agawam Police. The case was indicted on November 13, 2023, and Parker was arraigned on December 7, 2023.
Convictions and Sentence Breakdown
A jury found Parker guilty of three counts of aggravated rape of a child, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, one count of posing a child in a state of nudity, and one count of disseminating matter harmful to minors, according to the Hampden District Attorney. Prosecutors asked for a state prison term of 16 to 18 years, followed by three years of probation, while the defense pushed for the mandatory minimum 10-year sentence. The judge instead settled on the 12-to-14-year term, the concurrent 10-to-12-year term, and three years of probation on the remaining counts.
Investigation and Victim Impact
Prosecutors said Parker showed pornographic videos to the child, took nude photographs of the victim, and sexually abused the child on multiple occasions between the ages of 7 and 11. The case followed a forensic interview and an investigation led by Detective Adam Howe of the Agawam Police Department, which resulted in Parker’s indictment in November 2023 and arraignment in December 2023, according to the Hampden District Attorney. “My office will pursue cases in which children are harmed with the utmost vigor,” District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said, crediting Assistant District Attorney Amy D. Wilson and the victim for their roles in securing the conviction.
Prosecution Team and Next Steps
The Hampden District Attorney noted that Assistant District Attorney Amy D. Wilson and Victim Witness Advocate Rebecca Kenniston represented the Commonwealth at trial. With sentencing complete, Parker will serve the state prison terms imposed by the court and will be subject to the ordered probation conditions upon release. Readers can find the full statement from the DA’s office on its official Facebook page.
