PROVIDENCE — A former teacher and athletics coach at a private Christian school in Barrington is accused of giving a 14-year-old student lingerie and alcohol, and requesting explicit photos of her under the guise of training for a “secret section of the FBI” to help children who are sex trafficked.
Sean D. Cassidy, 53, of Pawtucket, was arraigned at Providence District Court Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a child and procuring alcohol. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered not to have any contact with the girl.
The State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Cassidy on May 30, shortly after the girl’s parents discovered communications between her and Cassidy. Some of the details from the investigation were revealed in affidavits for search warrants for Cassidy’s pickup truck, his home in Pawtucket, and Barrington Christian Academy, the school where he had worked.
The state police said in a statement that more criminal charges are expected.
“Through his various positions of authority and provisions, he was able to befriend Jane Doe, manipulate her, and gain her trust and dependence,” the affidavit said. “Cassidy’s psychologically complex and emotionally triggered ruse allowed him to introduce his sexual desires masked as tasks for a greater humanitarian purpose; training her to stifle her discomfort and fear in order to control her in situations she would instinctually deem as uncomfortable, as well as finding confidence in deceitfulness and posing as an adult when necessary.”
The girl attended the school and played for several of its sports teams, which were coached by Cassidy. He was also her private trainer for pitching lessons and conditioning sessions off school grounds.
The girl told investigators that she saw Cassidy daily at school, and that he sent messages through her school email and by text. She said he also offered to set up an Instagram account for her, even though her parents didn’t allow her to use social media. She declined.
The girl told state police that Cassidy had become fixated on her. As their families became close, and she spent time at his home with his family, Cassidy began telling her unusual stories.
She said Cassidy told her he was working for a “secret section of the FBI.” She said he claimed that he had “special DNA,” so the FBI and state troopers had him assist in raids to save children from being sex trafficked. She said that Cassidy told her that there were “off-worlders” or aliens that posed as humans on earth, and some of those children being sex trafficked were actually aliens.
She told state police that “she trusted Cassidy so much that she believed him,” the affidavits said.
Sometime in April 2026, the girl said, Cassidy told her that she didn’t have to wait until she was older to start the “training,” because she also had the “special DNA” and was “very special.”
Cassidy gave her gifts: new softball bats, batting gloves, Nike Pro spandex, shorts that were progressively shorter in length over time, and lingerie. She said that he claimed some of the gifts had belonged to his daughters, but other gifts were “meant to be kept secret from her parents,” according to the affidavit.
She said that Cassidy assigned various “challenges” or “missions” to make her comfortable in uncomfortable situations, according to the affidavits. He drove her to gas stations and had her pose as an adult to buy him lottery tickets, according to the affidavits. The girl said he also gave her hard cider to drink when she was visiting his home, the affidavits said.
She said he told her to take off her shirt during her athletic training and work out in her sports bra; she said she became accustomed to him putting his hands on her waist and back and, on one occasion, applying icy-hot ointment under her sports bra, according to the affidavit.
“She was also advised to learn to get comfortable with wearing less clothing and ultimately nudity because it would be required later on for ‘missions,’” the affidavit said. “Cassidy claimed that aliens did not believe in the ‘construct of clothes.’”
She said Cassidy emailed her from his personal Gmail account, calling himself “Casper,” the affidavits said. She said he also claimed that two other girls were using his email to talk to her about the “special” training, and she was told to email with a person named “Kevin” on another email address who would talk to her about her feelings, the affidavits said.
She said she was instructed to take explicit photographs of herself and send them to his private email.
The state police investigators viewed multiple group and private conversations between the girl and Cassidy going back to May 2025, where the girl was showing she was reluctant to have physical or sexual contact with Cassidy.
Cassidy was behind all of those personas, the affidavit said.
“She stated that she realizes now that contradictory false statements were made by Cassidy to her and to her parents, gifts and communication ... became secretive at his discretion, and Cassidy ultimately created a divide between her and her family, leaving only Cassidy as a person she could trust,” the affidavits said.
On May 28, the girl received an email from Cassidy’s personal Gmail account offering her three “flirt options,” all of which involved her taking off her clothes in front of him. She believed she needed to follow through; she told police that Cassidy said “bad things” could happen to her if she failed.
That evening, the girl’s parents discovered Cassidy’s communications and spoke to their daughter, who told them everything. They notified the Barrington police, who called in the state police ICAC.
The school fired Cassidy after his arrest on June 1.
The State Police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with information about Cassidy or potential victims to contact the task force at 401-921-1170, or the Barrington Police Department at 401-437-3935.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.