LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - A Lawrence police officer accused of raping a 13-year-old boy was convicted on multiple charges after a jury spent only a few hours deliberating.
Four hours after getting the case, jurors found Carlos Vieira, 53, guilty on two counts of Aggravated Rape of a Child and a charge of Indecent Assault & Battery on a Child Under 14, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am thankful to the trial team and everyone who assisted with the investigation,” Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said in a statement. “This verdict makes clear that no one is above the law and this young man was victimized by someone he should have been able to trust.”
Prosecutors alleged that Vieira met the teenager on a dating app in 2018, then had a sexual encounter with him at Mt. Vernon Park in Lawrence.
The teen told authorities he did not know Vieira was a police officer until months later, when the victim reportedly saw him in uniform, directing traffic while he and his family were evacuating during the Merrimack Valley gas explosions on Sept. 13, 2018.
According to a press release from the DA’s office, the victim’s mother learned about the sexual contact during a “family conflict” in January 2019, leading to the mother immediately contacting the office.
“The facts and circumstances surrounding this case are extremely troubling,” Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque said. “It is our hope that this verdict will give the victim and his family a sense of closure as they continue with the healing process.”
With his bail revoked, Vieira was taken into custody on Tuesday. His sentencing hearing is currently slated for next week, on Friday, Nov. 4.
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