Massachusetts police officer Samantha Pelrine’s certification has been suspended after she and her husband were accused of sexually assaulting a minor while he lived in their home.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission suspended Pelrine’s certification on Monday, March 30, according to a legal document viewed by Us Weekly. It is standard for police officers to lose their certification when they are charged with a felony crime.
Pelrine, 31, lost her certification effective immediately and was ordered to hand over any “agency-issued credentials and equipment that promote and support the performance of functions associated with service as a law enforcement officer, including but not limited to, any uniform, badge, firearm, assigned cruiser, and use-of-force instruments, such as tasers,” per the document.
The former officer lost her certification after she was charged with three counts of aggravated child rape and one count of statutory rape. Meanwhile, her husband, Daniel Forand, has been charged with 20 criminal charges, including 12 counts of aggravated child rape. Both Pelrine and Forand, 37, pleaded not guilty at their arraignment hearings earlier this month.
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The judge imposed a $10,000 cash bail for Pelrine, while Forand was given a $25,000 cash bond. They have also been ordered to not contact the alleged victim or anyone under 18, as well as surrender their passports and firearms.
Pelrine and Forand were arrested shortly after she was suspended from her job 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 at the time. “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, who is now 21 years old, filed a restraining order against the couple and claimed the couple abused him when he lived with them. In the court documents viewed by Us, the accuser claimed that he met Pelrine and Forand through his aunt because they all went to the same church.
The couple took the 12-year-old child in and became his legal guardian, and the accuser claimed that the alleged sexual and physical abuse began soon after.
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The victim went on to allege 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 said, per the affidavit.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing, while both Pelrine and Forand are scheduled to appear in court on June 8 for a probable cause hearing.
