Amherst man sentenced to prison in connection with sexual assaults

NORTHAMPTON – A judge Thursday, Jan. 18, sentenced an Amherst man to serve 6 to 7 years in state prison in connection with multiple sexual assaults he committed on a teenage girl in Amherst.
Kemal Banatte, 44, pleaded guilty before Hampshire Superior Court Judge Edward McDonough to one count of statutory rape of a child, one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, and one count of witness intimidation.
At his change of plea Thursday, Banatte admitted to sexually assaulting the victim, a child known to him, multiple times between 2015 and 2019 in an Amherst residence when she was between the ages of 12 and 15. The victim reported the abuse to the police in March of 2022.
McDonough adopted the sentence jointly proposed by Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington and Banatte’s defense attorney, Aliki Recklitis of the Committee for Public Counsel Services in sentencing Banatte to serve 6 to 7 years in state prison, followed by 5 years of supervised probation.
As conditions of probation, Banatte must also register as a sex offender with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, pay restitution to the victim, and provide a DNA sample as a convicted felon.
As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth dismissed three counts of indecent assault and battery and three counts of larceny.
“The survivor showed tremendous strength coming forward and reporting the sexual assaults to the police,” said ADA Covington. “Victims of sexual assault are encouraged to report these crimes to their local police departments or the Northwestern District Attorney’s office.”
Covington commended the Amherst Police Department for its thorough work on the case. Covington noted that the survivor was in favor of the sentence, and relieved the case resolved without a trial.
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