Red Sox employee, Rockland middle school custodian arrested for child enticement

A Boston Red Sox employee who also works at a Rockland middle school, Peter Tolan, was arrested Monday on a charge of child enticement.

East Bridgewater Police said that Tolan, a 58-year-old Rockland resident, was arrested after unwittingly messaging a detective on social media. 

A spokesperson for the Red Sox confirmed Tolan’s employment with the team.

“When we learned of the allegations against Peter Tolan, involving events unrelated to his Red Sox employment, he was suspended without pay from his position. We will have no further comment going forward,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

A since-deleted Twitter account appearing to belong to Tolan listed his occupation as a ticket taker for the Red Sox. It also said he works as a custodian for Rockland Public Schools and as an athletic assistant at Rockland High School. 

A March 2020 Facebook post from Bullpen Kitchen and Tap, located across the street from Fenway Park, described Tolan as the “two-time Ticket Taker of the Year.” A video with the post appeared to show Tolan making a half-court shot and celebrating with basketball players at Rockland High. 

Detective Cecelia Cacciatore received a message from Tolan through a social media app on a work-issued cell phone Monday, police said. The message was sent to an account Cacciatore had previously created. 

Tolan and Cacciatore had conversations through the app and later via text message. When Tolan asked the detective how old she was, Cacciatore said she was 15. Tolan then allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to Cacciatore. Police traced the number used to send the messages to Tolan. 

Tolan allegedly agreed to meet a person he believed to be the 15-year-old girl at a home in East Bridgewater for the purposes of a sexual encounter, police said. At the location, officers saw a vehicle arrive that was registered to Tolan. 

Police arrested him without incident. A search of his phone found messages that matched those sent to Cacciatore earlier. 

As police booked Tolan, they discovered he worked as an employee of “a nearby school district.” The school resource officer was notified and Tolan was issued a verbal no-trespass order. 

He was released on $500 bail and was arraigned Tuesday in Brockton District Court. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30. Tolan is ordered not to have contact with minors, is prohibited from using social media, cannot leave the state, and cannot apply for a job within a school, police said.

When asked by NBC10 Boston about what he would have done after meeting the underage girl, Tolan said he had no plans to engage in sexual activity. 

“I don’t know, I just would’ve talked to her. I wouldn’t have done anything, you know? I just, I wouldn’t have done anything,” he told the station. 

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com