By JON BAKER

LINCOLN  ---  Sean Gouveia, 38, of 116 Arnold St., was arrested Tuesday evening on two felony charges of child molestation.

According to Police Chief Brian Sullivan, Gouveia surrendered without incident to Sgt. Jack McRoberts and Patrolman Ryan Laboissonniere, who were sent to his home Tuesday night after detectives Kenneth Smith and Kevin Harty had closed their investigation.
Gouveia, who was arraigned Wednesday at Sixth District Court in Providence, is being held at the ACI’s Intake Unit in Cranston. He will remain there until he faces a bail hearing in the same court on Oct. 8, Sullivan said.
The suspect was charged with both first-degree and second-degree child molestation against two different children under the ages of 14. Sullivan explained that first-degree child molestation is defined as a sexual assault against someone 14 years of age or younger.
Should Gouveia be found guilty of that first-degree charge, a capital offense, the sentence could result in 20 years to life in prison, the chief added.
“The investigation began when we received a complaint from a parent, who said they suspected the subject had inappropriately touched one of their children,” stated Sullivan. The deputy chief wouldn’t reveal the whereabouts of the alleged attacks but did say both had occurred in the last couple of weeks.
“We worked with the Department of Children, Youth and Families in Providence, and we developed information on the first-degree child molestation charge. That’s when (Gouveia) was taken into custody.”
Sullivan also mentioned that the suspect had been known to police prior to the arrest, but “only for a couple of minor things, like driving with a suspended license. Certainly there was nothing this serious in nature.
“I can say that the victims knew this man; they weren’t strangers,” he added. “He was familiar to those children.”
Sullivan couldn’t recall the last time he had addressed such a charge in his hometown. “It can happen anywhere,” the chief stated.
“We in Lincoln are not immune to this kind of offense. We’ve had other offenses in other degrees in the past, but it hasn’t happened in a while. These are very serious charges.”