Pittsfield man pleads guilty to sexually abusing teenagers at a boarding school

According to the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office, a 44-year-old man pleaded guilty this week to 23 counts in connection with the rape of students at a juvenile hall where he worked.

Douglas Agyeh, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to nine counts each of forcible rape of a child and rape of a child by age. He also pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a person over the age of 14, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue’s office said in a statement.

Agyeh was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison for rape and three to five years in prison for negligent assault, to be served concurrently. He will serve his sentence in state prison, Shugrue’s office said.

In 2021, while Agyeh was working at a youth boarding school, he was responsible for monitoring students’ safety while they slept. During this time he raped the student, the statement says. Agyeh sexually assaulted another student “under the pretext” of helping him fold laundry.

According to Shugrue’s office, Agyeh was initially scheduled to go on trial in January 2023 but fled to Canada. He was arrested upon entry and later extradited to Massachusetts. According to prosecutors, he fled to Canada to return to his home country of Ghana.

“Predators like Douglas Agyeh rely on the silence of their victims. I commend the victims for their silence and courage throughout this process,” Shugrue said in the statement. “I would also like to thank the indecisive response of law enforcement and the full cooperation of the residential school, which played a critical role in ensuring justice in this terrible case.”