NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A former physical therapist of South Hadley pleaded not guilty to a single charge of rape on Wednesday.
According to a news release sent to 22News from Northwestern District Attorney’s Spokesperson Laurie Loisel, 42-year-old Edward Kostek was convicted by a jury in September on three counts of indecent assault and battery. He was sentenced to a suspended two-year jail sentence while on probation, have no contact with the victim, and undergo sex offender evaluation.
Following the sentencing, another former patient of Kostek reported to Northampton Police that she had been assaulted while undergoing physical therapy for three months in 2012. An investigation into the allegation resulted in the rape charge on Wednesday.
Kostek was released on the condition that he remains in the state and has no contact with the victim in the case or the two witnesses. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference on May 24.
Kostek was a physical therapist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Rehabilitation Services located in Northampton while treating a patient for neck injuries sustained in a car crash. An investigation began in 2019 when the patient reported being assaulted by Cooley Dickinson personnel and the Northampton Police Department.