Cliff Oliveira Pleads Guilty to Sending Explicit Images to Minor

Cliff Oliveira, a 28-year-old former patrol officer at Massasoit Community College and reserve officer with the Somerset Police Department, has pleaded guilty to attempting to send sexually explicit images and videos of himself to a 13-year-old girl — a crime that exposed the betrayal of public trust by a man sworn to protect it.

Oliveira, of Somerset, Massachusetts, entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Boston on one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for February 28, 2017. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine — though federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum based on sentencing guidelines and judicial discretion.

The investigation began in November 2015 when law enforcement discovered an adult male using the Kik Messenger username “samuricop” to engage in sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina. Undercover agents from Greenville County, South Carolina, posing as “Gabbi,” a 14-year-old middle school student, initiated contact with the suspect. Over the course of six weeks, “samuricop” pressured “Gabbi” to call him “daddy” and escalated to sending graphic images and a video of himself masturbating on January 13, 2016.

Throughout the chats, Oliveira repeatedly referenced his law enforcement status. He sent images of a police cruiser and a firearm, bragging about his authority while soliciting sexual responses from a minor. Investigators used those images, combined with IP address data obtained from Kik Messenger, to trace the account directly to Oliveira. At the time, he was actively employed as a campus patrol officer and town reserve officer — positions that granted him access to uniforms, vehicles, and weapons.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordi de Llano of the Criminal Division under the office of United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. Ortiz, joined by Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, and Greenville County Sheriff Steve Loftis, announced the guilty plea. Support for the investigation was provided by the Somerset, Brockton, and Massasoit Community College Police Departments — agencies now forced to reckon with one of their own crossing the line into predation.

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation. By coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement, the program targets predators who use digital platforms to groom and harm minors. Oliveira’s fall from badge to defendant underscores how easily authority can be weaponized — and why relentless scrutiny is essential in protecting the vulnerable.