Former Dartmouth Cop Sentenced to Up to 15 Years for Child Rape and Indecent Assault

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — The former Dartmouth police officer convicted of raping his young stepdaughter and molesting a teenaged family friend has been sentenced to serve 10 to 15 years in prison.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Shawn Souza was sentenced to the prison time after his conviction by a jury Wednesday on two counts of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape of a child by force, and once count of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older.

The conviction came following a mistrial on the same charges in 2022 when the jury could not agree on a verdict.

The incidents all occurred in Dartmouth between 2011 and 2013, when Souza was a patrol officer with the Dartmouth Police Department, but did not occur while he was on duty.

Evidence presented in the trial proved Souza raped his stepdaughter on multiple occassions between 2011 and 2013, when she was between the ages of six and eight years old.

He was also convicted of molesting a 15-year-old girl in 2015. The girl was a family friend and was at Souza’s home with her family to watch a movie when the molestation occurred.

Both victims testified and provided the court with victim impact statements, the D.A.’s Office said.

Prosecutors argued for a 20 to 25 year prison sentence followed by seven years of supervised probation. The defense argued for a 10-year prison term. Judge Susan Sullivan sentenced Souza to serve 10 to 15 years in state prison to be followed by two years of supervised probation.

“The defendant took advantage of his position of trust and access to sexually abuse a six-year-child over a two-year period. 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,” D.A. Quinn said. “It is a particularly aggravating factor that he was raping the victim while he was a police officer.”

“In addition, I also want to thank the second victim for coming forward and testifying,” he said. “I commend the victims and their families for persevering through this difficult ordeal, including a second trial. I admire the victim for telling the court today that she refused to be defined by what the defendant did to her.”

READ MORE: Former Dartmouth Police Officer Convicted of Child Rape and Indecent Assault

“I would like to thank the prosecution team, specifically Assistant District Attorney Silvia Rudman, Chief of the Special Victims Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Kalene Kobza for their efforts in this case. A lengthy state prison sentence was warranted,” Quinn said.

Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque was also in attendance at today’s sentencing hearing and provided a statement to the D.A.’s Office.

“The officer’s actions were a betrayal of the trust that the public holds in us. We take an oath to protect our citizens, not harm them – especially the most vulnerable,” he said. “Clearly the officer’s actions do not represent the values of the Dartmouth Police Department. We offer our thoughts and support to the victims and their families.”