A Plymouth, Massachusetts, police officer has been put on paid administration leave amid the State Police’s investigation into claims she sexually abused a child.
After State Police notified the Plymouth Police Department that Officer Samantha Pelrine was the subject of a criminal investigation, she was officially placed on leave as of Tuesday, March 17.
Pelrine — who joined the department in 2022 — was assigned to patrol at the time of her leave, according to The Patriot Ledger.
The police department said in a news release that they’re conducting an internal investigation “to determine the facts and circumstances of Officer Pelrine’s alleged conduct.” The post added, “Violations of department policy or state law will not be tolerated.”
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The Plymouth Police Department has not shared any additional information regarding her leave.
Amid her leave, court documents revealed that Pelrine, 31, has been accused of years-long sexual and physical abuse of a minor whom she and her husband, Daniel Forand, were caring for.
Pelrine and Forand, 37, have both been accused of abusing the alleged victim beginning when they were 12 years old, according to an abuse prevention order filed in Plymouth court and viewed by Boston.com.
The accuser claimed that they met Pelrine and Forand through the accuser’s aunt, who goes to the same church as the couple.
The documents state that the couple took the 12-year-old child in and became their legal guardian, and the alleged sexual and physical abuse began soon after.
The alleged victim claimed that Pelrine and Forand “both sexually assaulted me until 2025 and physically assaulted me until 2026,” per the documents.
“They are looking for me, and I am scared for my safety,” the alleged victim said, per the affidavit.
The couple has since been barred from contacting or abusing the accuser, and they have also been ordered to stay 100 yards away from them.
Pelrine was also ordered to hand over her guns, ammunition, gun license and Firearms Purchaser Identification Card during her leave from the police department.
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Pelrine and Forand have not been formally charged, and it is not currently clear if they have retained legal representation amid the investigation. The Plymouth Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
Pelrine previously spoke about her decision to become a police officer in a social media post viewed by MassLive. “I believe I picked the right career for my personality and what I wanted from a job because while the range of emotions from this job can vary drastically, I know that in some instances I’m truly able to make a difference in someone’s life,” she said at the time.
