A Quincy man was in court in Haverhill on Tuesday after police said he posed as a woman online and asked men to assault her.
Prosecutors said Thomas Sheehan, 45, stole a woman’s identity and pretended to be her on an adult website. The woman, prosecutors said, was someone Sheehan had not spoken to in years and was not aware that her name and image were being used.
Sheehan allegedly posted her photos and name on the website, along with her address. While pretending to be her, prosecutors said that Sheehan told men he wanted to be kidnapped, raped and tortured.
According to prosecutors, Sheehan used other women’s identities to solicit men for the same purpose.
"I had a detective contact me in early October who said he was at the beginning of an investigation," said one woman who claimed she was victimized by Sheehan. "My name and picture was on this disturbing sex website." The woman, who asked to not be identified, said Sheehan pretended to be her and gave out her home and work addresses.
Sheehan’s attorney said his client did not mean any harm and was just roleplaying online.
Sheehan pled not guilty, and his bail was set at $15,000.
(Copyright (c) 2016 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)