Logan employee accused of raping 14-year-old girl

WINTHROP, Mass. -- A Transportation Security Administration worker at Logan International Airport is accused of assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Sean Shanahan, 45, of Winthrop is being held on $50,000 cash bail following his arraignment in East Boston District Court. He is charged with statutory rape, enticement of a child and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older.

He has also been ordered not to contact the victim or any minors.

Winthrop Police said this all started when a father contacted them about sexually explicit text messages on his daughter’s cell phone.

Shanahan reportedly began contact with the girl in January.

“The defendant stated to us that it was in fact a ‘sexting’ relationship…they were sending inappropriate text messages to each other of an inappropriate nature,” said Lt. Brian Perrin of the Winthrop Police Department.

Police said the inappropriate contact escalated and Shanahan had physical sexual contact with the girl at his Winthrop home in February over school break.

“As a result of interviews with victims as well as witnesses it was revealed that there was in fact a rape of a child,” Perrin said.

The TSA said Shanahan is not presently working at the airport and released the following statement on Tuesday:

"TSA cannot comment on an ongoing police investigation, however, we can assure travelers every TSA employee is subject to a significant background check, including criminal history, before they are offered a job. Unfortunately, these checks do not predict future behavior. This individual is not working at the airport at the present time."

Shanahan is reportedly due back in court on April 5.

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