DARTMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - A judge sentenced a former Dartmouth police officer to spend between 10 and 15 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of child rape Wednesday, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Shawn Souza faced two charges of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape of a child by force, and one count of indecent assault and battery of a person 14 or older after prosecutors said he raped his stepdaughter on multiple occasions while she was between the ages of six and eight between 2011 and 2013.
Prosecutors said Souza also molested a 15-year-old girl while she was at his home with her family to watch a movie.
Souza’s stepdaughter and the family friend who he molested when she was a teenager testified over the course of Souza’s three-day trial and provided victim impact statements prior to sentencing.
Reacting to the sentence, District Attorney Thomas Quinn said a lengthy prison term “was warranted” in this case.
“The defendant took advantage of his position of trust and access to sexually abuse a six year old child over a two year period,” Quinn said. “The victim had viewed him as a father figure and eloquently said in court that he was the only father she had, and he should’ve protected her.”
Quinn also thanked the second victim for her testimony.
“I commend the victims and their families for persevering through this difficult ordeal,” Quinn said.
Authorities started investigating Souza after the state Department of Children and Families filed a 51A report with the Bristol County District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit.
Authorities arrested Souza at Dartmouth Police Headquarters in April of 2019 and he was soon arraigned in court.
Dartmouth Police Chief Brian Levesque said Souza was placed on administrative leave following his arrest.
The state POST Commission formally suspended Souza’s certification to serve as a police officer in 2023, records show.
Souza’s case went to trial in 2022 but ended without a verdict after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous agreement.
Having secured a conviction in their second presentation of the case, prosecutors asked Judge Susan Sullivan to sentence Souza to serve between 20 and 25 years in prison, followed by seven years of probation.
Defense attorneys sought a 10 year sentence, according to the DA’s office.
The judge settled on a 10 to 15 year term followed by two years of probation.
Levesque was in the courtroom for Wednesday’s proceedings and issued a statement after Souza’s sentencing.
“The officer’s actions were a betrayal of the trust that the public holds in us,’ he said. “We take an oath to protect our citizens, not harm them—especially the most vulnerable.”
“Clearly the officer’s actions do not represent the values of the Dartmouth Police Department,” Levesque continued. “We offer our thoughts and support to the victims and their families.”
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