Springfield man sentenced to 18 to 20 years for raping child

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Springfield man, recently convicted of raping a child, will spend over a decade in prison.

Lauren LaBel, spokesperson for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, said 39-year-old Ismael Freytes-Rodriguez will serve 18 to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a child with force and three counts of aggravated rape and abuse of a child. She added that the latter charge was deemed aggravated because of the defendant’s age.

Prosecutors claimed during the trial that the victim was 12 years old when the rapes occurred in Springfield in April 2023. The victim, now age 16, was reportedly present at the sentencing and a victim impact statement was on their behalf.

“These are among the most heinous crimes imaginable, and when a child is the victim, the harm is especially devastating,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni in a statement. “Protecting children from these horrific acts and holding offenders accountable is a responsibility we take extremely seriously.”

LeBel noted that prosecutors asked for a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison, while Freytes-Rodriguez’s attorney asked for seven to 10 years in prison with three years of probation.