FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) – A retired New Bedford police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.
Jean Gomes was sentenced Friday after being convicted by a jury last month on charges of indecent assault and battery. As a police officer, he was mandated to report sexual abuse, and therefore subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn says Gomes took advantage of his status as a police officer to commit a serious crime against a young girl.
Prosecutors say the abuse happened from 2011 to 2014.
The girl’s father said in an impact statement that he considers his daughter a hero for coming forward.
Gomes, who is 60, retired in 2015 after his indictment.
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