Lawrence Police Officer Arrested On Child Rape Charges

LAWRENCE, MA — A Lawrence police officer was arrested Monday on child rape charges. Carlos Vieira, 49, of Lawrence was arrested in Haverhill and is charged with two counts of aggravated rape of a child and two counts of indecent assault & battery on a child under 14., the Essex District Attorney's Office said.

The monthlong investigation started in January when a boy's mother told the DA's Office her son met Vieira on a social media app and engaged in sexual activity with him in the summer of 2018. The boy was 13 at the time.

Vieira, a veteran officer who started in Lawrence in 1999, has been placed on administrative leave.

"This is an ongoing investigation, but the allegations against Officer Vieira are extremely troubling, and we take them very seriously," Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque said in a statement.

Vieira is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Lawrence District Court.