ATHOL — A Franklin County Superior Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a man to serve 4 to 4½ years in state prison in connection with the 2023 rape of a child in Athol, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Tracy Duncan sentenced Anthony Rodriguez, 22, of Puerto Rico, after he pleaded guilty to charges of statutory rape of a child, assault and battery, and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, charges that stemmed from an assault on Jan. 1, 2023. Rodriguez was arrested in Puerto Rico in April 2023.

After Rodriguez completes his prison sentence, he will be on probation for five years, during which he must undergo sex offender treatment, register as a sex offender and refrain from any contact with the victim, according to the DA’s office.

Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Covington and Jillian Parent prosecuted the case. Rodriguez was represented by defense attorney Emily Shallcross from the Committee for Public Counsel Services.

Shallcross, in a statement Thursday, said, “I would just want it noted, correctly, that he plead to the lesser offense of rape of child (amended from forcible) and plead to misdemeanor A&B (not suffocation).”

In a statement from the DA’s office, Covington praised the survivor for the courage to come forward and noted that the plea agreement was supported by the survivor and her family.

“Victims of sexual assault are encouraged to report these crimes to the police,” Covington said. “We want to thank the Athol Police Department and Sgt. Doug Kaczmarczyk for their hard work in helping bring Mr. Rodriguez to justice.”