A Massachusetts cop was reportedly seen sobbing in court after she and her husband were accused of repeatedly raping a teen boy they took into their home.
Plymouth Police Officer Samantha Pelrine and her husband, Daniel Forand, were arrested shortly after she was suspended from her job on March 17.
The couple has been accused of abusing the 12-year-old victim after he moved in with them in 2019.
Pelrine, 31, was arraigned on several charges that include three felony counts of aggravated rape of a child with force and one count of aggravated statutory rape of a child, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Forand, 37, was hit with 20 charges that include rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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During the court appearance, prosecutors asked for the defendants to be held on $250,000 bail. Prosecutors claimed that Pelrine and Forand abused the boy beginning when he was 14 years old and continued to do so for several years.
“The name for that is grooming,” the prosecutor told Judge Kristen A. Stone of the crimes, per the Boston Herald.
Meanwhile, Pelrine’s attorney, Joseph Krowski, Jr., argued that the couple should be released on their own recognizance with a no-contact order due to them having no prior criminal history and strong ties within their community.
While Pelrine is a police officer, Forand owns the exterminator company Pilgrim Pest Professionals.
The judge ultimately imposed a $10,000 cash bail for Pelrine, while Forand was given a $25,000 cash bond.
Both Pelrine and Forand have pleaded not guilty to the charges they’re facing, according to the outlet. If they are found guilty, they will face a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
During the hearing, Forand was photographed donning a blank expression as he stood in Plymouth District Court to be handed the charges. Meanwhile, Pelrine cried heavily during the arraignment.
Us Weekly previously reported that Pelrine was put on leave from her role with the Plymouth Police Department on March 17.
“We are appalled and deeply disturbed by the allegations. We hold our officers to the highest of standards and expect them to uphold their sworn duty both on duty and off,” the department said in a statement. “Our primary mission is to safeguard the public’s trust and uphold the law. We value human life, fairness, integrity, accountability and professionalism. The conduct alleged is in violation of our values and of our basic principals [sic] a police officers to serve and protect.”
Pelrine was put on leave after the victim filed a restraining order against the couple and made the abuse claims. In the court documents viewed by Us, the accuser claimed that he met Pelrine and Forand through his aunt.
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The couple took the 12-year-old child in and became his legal guardian, while the alleged sexual and physical abuse began soon after, per the documents.
The victim went on to claim that Pelrine and Forand “both sexually assaulted me until 2025 and physically assaulted me until 2026.”
“They are looking for me, and I am scared for my safety,” the victim added, per the affidavit.
