Former Police Sergeant Arrested for Allegedly Raping a Young Child

A 62-year-old former Amesbury Police sergeant was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a young child and committing a string of disturbing offenses, according to Amesbury Police Chief Kevin J. Ouellet.

David J. Connor, 62, of Amesbury, is charged with:

• Three counts of ossession of child pornography
• Two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14
• Aggravated rape and abuse of a child
• Indecent exposure.

The victim is a child who is known to Connor.

An investigation into the suspect began in August 2014 after police received a report from the alleged victim who was brought in by their parents. Police interviewed the child who reported repeated instances of sexual abuse over a multi-year period, starting when the victim was as young as 4-years-old.

Police were able to obtain a search warrant for Connor’s home and seized phones and a computer as evidence.

The electronics were sent to the Peabody Police Department’s computer forensics experts, and explicit images and videos of children were found on Connor’s computer.

Information retrieved from the computer, along with the department’s investigation into the suspect and the victim’s statements, provided Amesbury Police with sufficient evidence to bring charges against Connor on Thursday.

“This is a tragic situation where the suspect is accused of horrific acts against a child,” Chief Ouellet said in a statement.. “I want to acknowledge the work of the Amesbury Police Department during this investigation. We will continue to work collaboratively until justice is served in this case.”

Connor formerly worked for the Amesbury Police Department from 1977 to 1991, leaving at the rank of Sergeant, according to authorities.

The investigation was conducted by the Amesbury Police Department, working closely with the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, and with the assistance of the Peabody Police Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Department of Children and Families.

Connor is being held at the Amesbury Police Department pending arraignment in Newburyport District Court on Thursday.

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.