A Massachusetts police officer and her husband appeared in court Thursday facing serious sexual abuse charges involving a boy they took into their home. The hearing turned emotional as Officer Samantha Pelrine, 31, broke down in tears.
Pelrine, who serves with the Plymouth Police Department, and her husband, Daniel Forand, 37, were arrested following Pelrine’s sudden suspension from the department last week. Court documents allege that the couple began abusing the 12-year-old boy shortly after he moved in with them in 2019.
Pelrine is charged with three counts of aggravated rape of a child with force and one count of aggravated statutory rape. Forand, who runs a local pest control business called Pilgrim Pest Professionals, faces 20 charges, including child rape, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors say the abuse spanned from the victim’s age of 14 until last year.
“The term for this behavior is grooming,” a prosecutor told Judge Kristen A. Stone, according to reports.
The couple’s attorney, Joseph Krowski Jr., requested their release on their own recognizance, citing community ties and no prior criminal history. Judge Stone set bail at $10,000 for Pelrine and $25,000 for Forand. Both defendants entered not guilty pleas and face a minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted.
In court, Forand maintained a blank expression while wearing handcuffs and a gray hooded sweatshirt. Pelrine, in a flannel jacket and glasses, sobbed throughout her arraignment.
Pelrine had been placed on leave earlier this month after the alleged victim submitted a handwritten affidavit detailing sexual abuse through 2025 and physical abuse through 2026. Authorities also ordered her to surrender firearms, ammunition, and related licenses. The affidavit stated that physical assaults were committed only by Forand.
The boy, who had been raised by his grandmother and aunt, came under the couple’s care at age 12. They became his legal guardians roughly a year later, and court documents indicate the alleged sexual abuse began soon afterward and continued until 2025. The victim left their home in February.
State police took the couple into custody at their Plymouth residence without incident.
Pelrine joined the Plymouth Police Department in April 2022. A 2023 post by the department celebrating National Women’s Month highlighted her enthusiasm for law enforcement and her desire to make a positive impact in people’s lives.
The Plymouth Police Department issued a statement expressing shock and condemnation. “We hold our officers to the highest standards both on and off duty,” the statement read. “The conduct alleged violates the core principles of integrity, accountability, and professionalism expected of our officers.”
Neither Pelrine’s nor Forand’s attorney responded immediately to requests for comment.