Ex-youth baseball coach pleads guilty to raping Seabrook teen: 'Worst nightmare'

BRENTWOOD — A former youth baseball coach pleaded guilty to the 2017 rape of a Seabrook teenager, who told the court her life will never be the same.

Prosecutors say Curran Shane, 34, a former baseball coach in the Bedford School District, for Seacoast United and for Play Ball in Salisbury, Massachusetts, was drunk when he raped the 15-year-old girl. They say Shane snuck into the girl's bedroom, and despite being repeatedly told “no” and “stop it,” he forcibly raped her.

Shane was originally charged with three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, two counts of felonious sexual assault and one count of witness tampering for allegedly telling the victim afterward not to tell anyone what had happened.

As part of a negotiated plea deal with prosecutors, Shane pleaded guilty to two charges — one each of aggravated felonious sexual assault and felonious sexual assault — and let the judge determine the length of sentence as part of a capped plea deal, where he would get no less than 5 to 12 years in prison.

Prosecutors wanted the maximum sentence while Shane's defense attorney argued for 3 ½ to 7 years.

Shane told the court Monday, April 29, that he was willing to accept "responsibility for the consequences of my actions."

"I want to apologize for assaulting you, violating you, causing you anguish and trauma. I'm sorry for what I did to you," Shane told the victim.

"I just hope that (pleading guilty) provides some relief for (the victim) and her family. What happened that night was 100 percent my fault. It should never have happened. ... I wish I could undo the pain that (the victim) has been through, but I can't. I am so sorry.

Judge David Ruoff handed down a sentence of 5 to 12 years with the last two years of the maximum prison term suspended.

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Prosecutors: Shane 'violated the sanctity of the coaching profession'

Prosecutors said Shane was staying the night at another coach's house in 2017 after heavily drinking when the assault occurred.

Shane told the court the coach allowed him to stay over because he didn't want him to drive drunk.

"He was trying to do the right thing, and I did something awful," Shane told the court.

Had the case gone to trial, prosecutor Sharon Ray said they would have proven Shane snuck into the girl's bedroom, was asked to leave, and then returned.

"She told him no multiple times," Ray said. "...The defendant got out of (the victim's) bed and told her not to tell anyone."

Seabrook police first began investigating the case after receiving a report of sexual assault from the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families. An anonymous person overheard a conversation between Shane and another coach, where Shane was bragging that he stayed over at a friend's house, and their daughter came down the stairs and had sex with him.

Police investigated the incident at the time, interviewing the victim, who denied the incident occurred. They also interviewed Shane, who also denied the allegations.

Four years after the crime was initially reported, Ray said the victim's mother found a letter in April 2022, where her daughter stated that Shane raped her.

"The defendant chose to engage in a career path where he worked closely with children, and using that access, he became every parent's worst nightmare," Ray said.

"...The defendant violated her trust, violated her family's trust and violated the sanctity of the coaching profession."

The victim, now in her early 20s, told the court she still suffers from what happened that night, having been diagnosed with panic anxiety disorder.

She said after the assault, her school life, social life, and athletics life "all took a hit." And to this day, she wonders what her life would have been if Shane never entered her room.

"At the end of the day, my life is not at all what it would have been if this never happened to me," she said.

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Defense argues for a lesser sentence

Shane told the court that from 2016 to 2020, he was an "immature drunk alcoholic."

"Alcohol became the biggest presence of my life," he told the court. "I was drinking daily and drinking a lot. ... I made a mess of things."

He added, "This does not excuse my actions, which was wrong."

His attorney, Joseph Welch, said Shane "fought hard for his sobriety" and has been sober for two years. He argued for a lesser sentence, noting his client's "limited criminal record" and that he accepts responsibility and is remorseful for his actions.

"I have caused everyone tremendous pain, and I promise this will never happen again," Shane told the court.  "It's difficult for me to recognize the person I want to be with my actions back in 2017 for hurting and violating a young girl. I'm glad that (the victim) has spoken up though about what happened to her. I wish I could somehow make things better rather than the realization that I hurt someone so much."

Testifying on behalf of Shane were his parents and brothers.

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Judge: Assault will impact 'victim for the rest of her life'

In handing down the sentence, Ruoff said Shane's actions would impact the "victim for the rest of her life."

"It's something you can't undo," he said.

In addition to the 5 to 12 years for the aggravated felonious sexual assault charge, Shane also received a suspended 3 ½ to 7-year sentence for the felonious sexual assault charge.

Shane must undergo sexual offender treatment in prison and have no contact with the victim or her family. He also is not allowed to work with children or have contact with anyone under the age of 18, except family members. Once released, he will have to register as a sex offender.

Shane worked in the Bedford School District as a JV baseball coach, paraprofessional, extended school year staff member and co-curriculum facilitator on and off from 2013 to 2022. Bedford Superintendent Mike Fournier noted in a letter to families at the time of Shane’s arrest that the offenses were not related to Shane's time as an employee.

Shane had also been an active baseball coach at several sports club venues.

If you need help

Seacoast Media Group provides the following information as a public service when reporting on cases of sexual violence:

Haven is a violence prevention and support service for men, women and children affected by domestic and sexual violence. Haven’s 24-hour hotline is 1-603-994-SAFE (7233). This is a confidential crisis support line in the Seacoast and Rochester region staffed by trained advocates. Information: havennh.org

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-youth baseball coach pleads guilty to raping Seabrook teen