Lawrence police officer convicted of raping teenage boy

A Lawrence police officer has been convicted of raping a 13-year-old boy he met on a dating app.

Officer Carlos Vieira, 53, was convicted Tuesday by a Salem Super Court jury of aggravated rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 after about four hours of deliberations, according to the office of Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.

Vieira, who had been free on bail, had his bail revoked and was held pending sentencing scheduled for Nov. 4.

Vieira met the teen on the app in the summer of 2018 and they arranged to meet in a Lawrence park, prosecutors said. They engaged in sex acts in the defendant's SUV, prosecutors said.

When the victim and his family were evacuating on Sept. 13, 2018 after a series of gas explosions hit the city, the victim recognized Vieira directing traffic. The victim's mother found out about the encounter in January 2019 and reported it to authorities, prosecutors said.

Vieira's attorney questioned the teen's identification of his client. He has been on unpaid leave by the department since he was charged.

Resources: You can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also visit online.rainn.org to receive support via confidential online chat.