Retired New Bedford police officer sentenced to 10 years in prison

By: News Staff
Email: news@abc6.com
Twitter: @ABC6

NEW BEDFORD, M.A. (WLNE) – A retired New Bedford Police officer was sentenced to a decade behind bars on Friday.

Jean Gomes was sentenced Friday morning to ten years and a day behind bars for inappropriately touching a little girl.

Gomes was convicted back in May on one count of indecent assault and battery on a minor.

Gomes retired in January 2015 after he was indicted for this crime.

“The defendant violated the trust placed in him as a police officer, and took advantage of his relationship with the victim and her mother. I want to commend the victim for her courage in coming forward and testifying under very difficult circumstances. The fact that the defendant was a police officer is an aggravating factor in the sentence imposed by the court. However, the focus should be on Jean Gomes’ conduct as an individual. I would like to thank Assistant District Attorneys Silvia Rudman and Jennifer Thompson for their efforts in prosecuting this difficult case,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

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