A Massachusetts man with a history of domestic violence has been found guilty of rape and strangulation after a 2017 incident.
Christopher King, 34, was found guilty after a jury trial Friday. He was found guilty of rape, suffocation or strangulation and assault and batter on a family or household member.
King was found not guilty on a second count of rape.
In 2017, King also plead guilty to assault and battery on a family or household member.
“I first want to commend the victim for her courage in coming forward and testifying during the trial. I also want to thank the jury. This is the second guilty verdict surrounding sexual assault in just two weeks,” said Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue in a press release. “While rape is all to common, it is extremely difficult to prosecute. The CSI effect has resulted in juries expecting evidence that simply does not exist in the real world. Domestic and sexual violence are often misunderstood allowing many perpetrators to evade justice.”
Shugrue said he has been using grant funds to send prosecutors and advocates to trainings on prosecuting cases of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“It is rewarding to see their hard work come to fruition in these guilty verdicts,” he wrote.
King will be sentenced at 2 p.m. on May 28 at Berkshire Superior Court.
