State Prison for Sex Offender Charged with Child Enticement

BOSTON, April 9, 2021—A Level 3 sex offender received a state prison sentence after pleading guilty to planning to travel from Massachusetts to Maryland for an illicit encounter with a child he met online, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.  No child was harmed due to the excellent police work done, and a child sexual predator has been removed from our community.

DANIEL LOUIS O’BRIEN, 43, pleaded guilty today to seven counts of enticement of a child under 16.  Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders sentenced Mr. O’Brien to three to four years in state prison to be followed by five years of probation.  During his probation period, he must have no unsupervised contact or internet communication with any child under the age of 18; submit to GPS monitoring; notify the Department of Probation his current address and all phone numbers, identify all internet capable devices and immediately notify the Department of Probation of any changes to his address, phone numbers or access to devices with internet capabilities; submit to GPS monitoring; register as a sex offender; undergo an evaluation for sex offender treatment and undergo any treatment deemed necessary.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Poirier of District Attorney Rollins’ Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit, had recommended an incarcerated sentence of four years to four years and a day to be followed by a seven-year probationary sentence; the maximum term for the offense of child enticement is five years in state prison. 

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Poirier would have presented evidence and testimony to prove that Mr. O’Brien participated in a series of sexually explicit online chats on the apps Whisper and Kik with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old female living in Maryland, during which he attempted to entice her to run away from her home with him.  The individual on the other end of the chats, however, was in fact a criminal investigator from the Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Department. 

The online communications began during April 2020 and continued through the following month, during which time O’Brien remained in a Boston medical facility.  He was taken into custody upon his release from the hospital and arraigned on May 30, 2020, in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court.  The case was subsequently indicted and brought to Suffolk Superior Court.

Mr. O’Brien is classified as a Level 3 sex offender based on his 2010 conviction out of Middlesex County for attempted kidnapping of a child and enticement of a child under 16 for similar offenses against a then 12-year-old child.  In that case, he and the victim made plans to run away together.  As part of their plan, Mr. O’Brien traveled from where he lived at the time in Virginia to Massachusetts, where he was placed under arrest.

As our children transition from remote, online school to in-person classes, it's important that parents and caregivers remain vigilant about young people’s safety online.  To help children, teenagers, parents, caregivers, and professionals ensure online safety, District Attorney Rollins’ office has presented STOP BLOCK and TALK an internet safety training to schools, youth organizations, and parent groups across Suffolk County.  The program teaches children and young people to stay safe online by stopping any communication that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, blocking and reporting the individual, and talking to a trusted adult.  More information on the program is available here. 

“April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we must raise awareness about the risks children and young people face, both online and off.  However, we must be cognizant of the potential harm our children face throughout the year,” District Attorney Rollins said.  “This individual attempted to prey on and sexually entice a child.  Even worse, this is not the first time he has committed this reprehensible act.  Today’s plea was the culmination of a collaborative effort between law enforcement in Maryland, the Boston Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit and my Office’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit.  This interagency partnership represents what we can accomplish when we work together on behalf of youth and children.”

While the victims and witnesses of any crime should call 911 in an emergency, there are additional resources available to report suspected crimes against children. In Suffolk County, survivors of child abuse and exploitation and their non-offending caretakers can receive comprehensive services at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. The CAC can be reached at 617-779-2146.  Survivors may also contact the Child Protection Unit at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at 617-619-4300. Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse can call the Department of Children and Families’ Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200. Those concerned that a child is being exploited online may report a Cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or www.cybertipline.com.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.