A female police officer sobbed in court as she and her husband were charged with the repeated rape of the child they brought into their home as a 12-year-old. Samantha Pelrine, 31, was accused of sexually abusing her adopted son from the age of 14.
The cop from Massachusetts and her husband, Daniel Forand, 37, are charged with repeatedly raping the boy they adopted in 2019. He had been removed from his parents’ home when he was three due to neglect and narcotic use. He then lived with his aunt and grandmother until he was 12, when his aunt was no longer able to care for him. Forand then reportedly offered to take the boy in himself. The accuser, now 20, wrote that the alleged abuse from Pelrine and Forand began “shortly after they became my guardians”.
He said in a handwritten statement that Pelrine and Forand “both sexually assaulted me until 2025,” according to court docs reviewed by The US Sun. He also alleged that Forand had physically assaulted him in 2026. Pelrine was not accused of physical abuse.
Pelrine was handed multiple charges, including three felony counts of aggravated child rape with force and one count of aggravated statutory rape of a child. Pelrine had been suspended from her job last week before she and Forand were arrested. She was ordered to surrender all guns, gun licenses, FID cards and ammunition immediately and was told not to contact or abuse the victim and to stay at least 100 yards from him.
A similar abuse-prevention order was placed against Forand, who faces 20 charges, including child rape and assault and battery. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors demanded that the defendants be held on a $250,000 (£188,300) bail, given the seriousness of the alleged abuse, which they described as “grooming”. However, the couple’s defence lawyers argued the pair should be released because of their strong community ties.
The judge imposed a $10,000 (£7,500) cash bail for Pelrine and $25,000 (£18,800) for Forand, both of which were posted.
The Plymouth Police Department said in a statement: “We are appalled and deeply disturbed by the allegations.
“We hold our officers to the highest of standards and expect them to uphold their sworn duty both on duty and off.
“Our primary mission is to safeguard the public’s trust and uphold the law. We value human life, fairness, integrity, accountability, and professionalism.
“The conduct alleged is in violation of our values and of our basic principles as a police officer to serve and protect.”
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