Jury convicts MBTA officer of rape

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A former MBTA police officer has been convicted of three counts of rape by the Suffolk jury.

Shawn McCarthy, 50, of Wilmington, now a resident of Maine, will be sentenced on March 20.

Investigation revealed that two women in their twenties were drinking in Boston when they encountered McCarthy outside of a subway station in 2012.

According to District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, McCarthy offered the women a “joyride” in his cruiser.

After they drove around the area, they stopped at a vacant lot.

The MBTA officer said to the women that he would not take them back until he “got something out of it”, according to the District Attorney.

The woman expressed fear that they would get in trouble if they did not comply.

After raping both women, McCarthy drove them back to where he picked them up and warned them to not tell anybody what happened.

One of the victims reported the assault to a relative shortly after.

In August 2019, the victim revealed the incident during screening for a law-enforcement job.

According to the District Attorney, up until that point both victims were under the impression that McCarthy was an officer for the Boston Police Department.

This matter was escalated to BPD and further investigated.

It was then found that McCarthy was a Transit Police Officer.

McCarthy admitted that he had the two women in his cruiser on the night of the incident, but denied any sexual assault.

He was placed on administrative leave in December 2019 and resigned shortly after.

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden released the following statement surrounding this incident:

“This officer abused his position, violated his department protocols, and, worst of all by far, subjected two young women to sexual assaults that went unacted upon for many years.  But thanks to the victims ultimately coming forward, and the diligent work of investigators, justice in this case was sought and, with today’s verdict, delivered.”