Pittsfield Teen Convicted on Rape Charges

The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office has obtained a guilty verdict in a violent rape case. According to a media release, a jury found 17-year-old Dylan Welch, of Pittsfield, guilty on single counts of aggravated rape of a child with force and attempted extortion. The jury also found Welch not guilty of assault with intent to rape. The court will be sentencing him at a later date. 

Welch raped a 14-year-old girl in a wooded area in Pittsfield on October 14th of 2019 and caused the victim to suffer significant bodily injury. The investigation was conducted by the Pittsfield Police Department.  

The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office indicted and prosecuted Welch as a youthful offender because of the seriousness of the case. The trial began on June 14th, and the jury decided on June 24th. Judge Joan McMenemy presided over the trial. 

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I am proud of my team’s work on this case to hold this defendant accountable for the physical and mental harm he caused a young woman. The victim showed incredible bravery throughout the life of this case, and it means so much to my office that we were able to secure a guilty verdict on her behalf... The victim had to wait a long time for justice because of the COVID pandemic. I thank the court for their work to safely resume jury trials, restoring the cornerstone of our justice system, and we look forward to continuing the pursuit of justice for victims. ~ District Attorney Andrea Harrington 

 

The trial is the second in Berkshire County since the court closures during the COVID pandemic. The Trial Court leased space at the Holiday Inn in Pittsfield to accommodate 12-person juries. The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office says that it is prepared to try cases as the court schedules them.