Gerrard Kaonga
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse and rape which some readers may find distressing.
A police officer and her husband have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of child rape after an alleged victim came forward.
Massachusetts police officer Samantha Pelrine, 31, and Daniel Forand, 37, were arraigned in Plymouth District Court on Thursday (March 26).
He was charged with six counts of indecent assault and battery, 12 counts of aggravated rape of a child, and one count each of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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Pelrine's charges included three counts of aggravated rape of a child and one count of statutory rape.
The pair have both pleaded not guilty.
According to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, a judge set bail at $10,000 for Pelrine and $25,000 for Forand. They were reportedly released on Thursday.
A post on the Plymouth Police Department's Facebook page said that Pelrine started her career with the force in April 2022.
The pair are due back in court on June 8.
On Thursday, the Plymouth Police Department released a statement on Facebook about the arrest of Pelrine and her husband.
It read: “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.
“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 principles as police officers, to serve and protect.
“While we respect the judicial process, we remain committed to a timely and thorough internal investigation to find the facts, review available evidence, and take appropriate administrative action. Officer Pelrine’s duty status is currently under review.”
Regarding the alleged victim, police said the now-adult male filed a report with Massachusetts State Police in Middleborough on March 15, claiming that he had been 'sexually assaulted, first by Forand and then by Forand and Peline together, on numerous occasions from 2018 to 2025'.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.