East Bridgewater Police say 58-year-old Peter Tolan was arrested on Monday, and was charged with Enticement of a Child Under 16.
In a statement, East Bridgewater Police Chief Paul O’Brien said Tolan was an employee of another school district, and that district was notified.
Rockland School Superintendent Alan Cron said in a statement to WATD that a custodian at the John Rogers Middle School was placed on administrative leave after they were notified of the employee’s arrest in East Bridgewater. The employee was not identified in the release.
Cron said the employee will remain out on leave pending the outcome of the criminal case and a review by the Rockland Public Schools. Due to the ongoing investigation in another community, the schools would not provide further comment.
East Bridgewater Police say Detective Cecelia Cacciatore received a message through a social media app, and began to engage with Tolan through the app and over text message.
When asked, she identified herself as a 15-year-old. Police say messages of a sexually explicit nature were sent by Tolan.
A search of the phone number used to send the messages was traced back to Tolan.
Police say Tolan agreed to meet at a residence in East Bridgewater, and he was placed under arrest after officers approached him. A search of his phone found messages that matched ones that were sent to the detective earlier in the day.
Tolan was released on $500 bail, and was arraigned Tuesday at Brockton District Court. A pre-trial hearing was set for November 30th.
He was ordered to have no contact with minors, stay off social media, and cannot apply for a job within a school system.
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- Peter Tolan. Photo courtesy of East Bridgewater Police.
