A former Dartmouth police officer will be locked up for at least the next decade, his sentencing coming a day after a jury convicted him on charges of child rape and indecent assault and battery.
A Fall River Superior Court judge sentenced Shawn Souza on Thursday to serve 10 to 15 years in state prison followed by two years of supervised probation, Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said in a statement.
Evidence presented during a three-day trial proved Souza raped his young stepdaughter multiple times, authorities said.
The jury also convicted the former cop of molesting a 15-year-old girl in 2013, in the same period he had raped his stepdaughter who was between the ages of 6 and 8 from 2011 to 2013.
Assistant District Attorneys Silvia Rudman and Kalene Kobza argued for Souza to be sentenced to 20 to 25 years in state prison and then seven years of supervised probation.
Judge Susan Sullivan met in the middle with the prosecution, who requested a 10-year term, and the defense, sentencing the defendant to 10 to 15 years and then two years of probation.
“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.”
“We had requested more and thought more was appropriate,” Quinn added, “but, it’s a mandatory 10-year sentence, he’s on probation … He’s held accountable, and under the circumstances, I am satisfied with the result.”
Dartmouth Police placed Souza on administrative leave following his arrest in April 2019. Authorities investigated the cop after the Bristol County DA’s Special Victims Unit received a 51A report, with the state Department of Children and Families notifying the DA of Souza’s alleged child abuse.
“The officer’s actions were a betrayal of the trust that the public holds in us,” Dartmouth Police Chief Brian Levesque said in a statement. “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. We offer our thoughts and support to the victims and their families.”
An initial trial in the case resulted in a deadlocked jury in 2022, triggering the second trial in which both victims testified. The victims also provided impact statements on Thursday.
Souza’s certification to serve as a police officer was suspended last year.
“I commend the victims and their families for persevering through this difficult ordeal, including a second trial,” Quinn said. “I admire the victim for telling the court today that she refused to be defined by what the defendant did to her.”
