NORTHAMPTON — A former Hampshire Regional High School girls basketball coach was sentenced to two years probation Monday after he admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding on charges that he exposed himself to multiple girls at his former Southampton home.
Richard Moussette, 56, of Holyoke, admitted in Northampton District Court to sufficient facts on three charges of open and gross lewdness. Moussette was originally charged with six counts of open and gross lewdness, one of which was dismissed in February. The incidents occurred between 2009 and 2012.
Multiple girls told police that during sleepovers at Moussette’s home, they awakened during the night to use the bathroom. On the way there, they would find Moussette standing in his bedroom doorway across the hall, completely nude and “posing,” according to court documents. The girls were 15 to 17 years old at the time of the incidents and were friends of one of Moussette’s daughters.
One of the girls reported that Moussette exposed himself to her seven or eight times. At first, the girl thought it was an accident but the second time it happened, she thought it was too much of a coincidence to be an accident, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Lori Odierna said in court Monday. By the third time, the girl knew Moussette’s behavior was purposeful, Odierna told Judge W. Michael Goggins.
Another girl refused to go to the bathroom alone at sleepovers after the first time Moussette exposed himself to her, Odierna said.
The girls did not report the incidents to police until they saw news reports about Moussette allegedly masturbating during October 2015 in a store at the Holyoke Mall. Following that incident, Moussette was charged with two counts of open and gross lewdness. One of the charges was dropped while the other was continued without a finding until December 2018 after Moussette admitted to sufficient facts for a finding of guilty.
Odierna said one of the girls felt guilty that she had not come forward sooner, saying that if she had, it might have prevented the Holyoke Mall incident.
Defense attorney Shawn P. Allyn of Holyoke told Goggins that the plea agreement protects the victims and spares them from having to testify.
Before becoming head coach of the girls basketball team in the 2010-11 school year, Moussette was head coach of the junior varsity basketball team and assistant varsity coach for six years. He had also served as assistant varsity softball coach and junior varsity softball coach at Hampshire Regional since 2007.
As part of the plea agreement, the charges were continued without a finding during the two years of Moussette’s probation. The sentence includes conditions that Moussette attend and complete sex offender treatment as well as mental health counseling. Moussette is also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors and is not allowed to work with, volunteer with or coach youths.
Moussette does not have to register as a sex offender.