A former Dartmouth police officer will likely be locked up for no less than the subsequent decade, his sentencing coming a day after a jury convicted him on expenses of kid rape and indecent assault and battery.
A Fall River Superior Courtroom choose sentenced Shawn Souza on Thursday to serve 10 to fifteen years in state jail adopted by two years of supervised probation, Bristol District Lawyer Thomas Quinn III stated in an announcement.
Proof offered throughout a three-day trial proved Souza raped his younger stepdaughter a number of instances, authorities stated.
The jury additionally convicted the previous cop of molesting a 15-year-old lady in 2013, in the identical interval he had raped his stepdaughter who was between the ages of 6 and eight from 2011 to 2013.
Assistant District Attorneys Silvia Rudman and Kalene Kobza argued for Souza to be sentenced to twenty to 25 years in state jail after which seven years of supervised probation.
Choose Susan Sullivan met within the center with the prosecution, who requested a 10-year time period, and the protection, sentencing the defendant to 10 to fifteen years after which two years of probation.
“The defendant took benefit of his place of belief and entry to sexually abuse a six-year-old baby over a two 12 months interval,” Quinn stated. “The sufferer had considered him as a father determine and eloquently stated in court docket that he was the one father she had, and he ought to’ve protected her.”
“We had requested extra and thought extra was acceptable,” Quinn added, “however, it’s a compulsory 10-year sentence, he’s on probation … He’s held accountable, and beneath the circumstances, I’m glad with the end result.”
Dartmouth Police positioned Souza on administrative go away following his arrest in April 2019. Authorities investigated the cop after the Bristol County DA’s Particular Victims Unit obtained a 51A report, with the state Division of Youngsters and Households notifying the DA of Souza’s alleged baby abuse.
“The officer’s actions have been a betrayal of the belief that the general public holds in us,” Dartmouth Police Chief Brian Levesque stated in an announcement. “We take an oath to guard our residents, not hurt them — particularly probably the most weak. Clearly the officer’s actions don’t signify the values of the Dartmouth Police Division. We provide our ideas and assist to the victims and their households.”
An preliminary trial within the case resulted in a deadlocked jury in 2022, triggering the second trial through which each victims testified. The victims additionally offered impression statements on Thursday.
Souza’s certification to function a police officer was suspended final 12 months.
“I commend the victims and their households for persevering by this troublesome ordeal, together with a second trial,” Quinn stated. “I like the sufferer for telling the court docket in the present day that she refused to be outlined by what the defendant did to her.”
