Quincy Man Allegedly Impersonated Women Online, Solicited Acts Of Rape
HAVERHILL (CBS) - Police say a Quincy man put local women in danger when he stole their Facebook profiles and used them on adult websites.
Thomas Sheehan, 45, stared at the floor as prosecutors detailed his bizarre impersonation of women online.
"None of these women was aware or consented to the graphic and violent rape requests that Sheehan made on their behalf," prosecutor Tom Ralph said.
It was Groveland Police acting on a tip who tracked his actions on collarspace.com where he is charged with impersonating a Groveland woman using pictures he pirated from her Facebook page.
"Sheehan solicited men to use dangerous weapons on the woman as part of the assault that he was soliciting," Ralph said.
"I was worried that -- that they thought they did have permission from me," a victim told WBZ-TV outside of court.
The Chelsea woman is one of a dozen that police believe Sheehan impersonated. She used to work with Sheehan at Logan Airport, but hadn't seen him since the late '80s. She went to court Tuesday with five other victims who wanted to remain anonymous.
"We all just want to stand up and smile at him, to let him know that it's not just this one victim that we are all here together," she said.
No women were attacked and that prompted Sheehan's defense attorney to paint it as fantasy.
The judge, noting Sheehan gave out the women's addresses, set bail at $15,000 cash and ordered him to wear a GPS bracelet and stay off the internet if he makes it.
