ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County sheriff’s deputy is under arrest and off the job after the agency says he solicited a minor who was the victim of a sexual cyber-harassment case the deputy was handling.
Charles Cruz, 35, was arrested Friday and has been relieved of law enforcement duties without pay, the sheriff’s office said.
Recommended Videos
The sheriff’s office said Cruz responded to a call for service on Sunday to the home of a minor who was working with the Sex Crimes Unit already as the victim of a sexual cyber-harassment case.
According to the arrest report, Cruz started contacting the victim with inappropriate text messages that grew worse as he tried to see whether the victim would meet with him in person.
The sheriff’s office sex crimes unit discovered the texts on Thursday while looking at the victim’s phone as part of the cyber-harassment case.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
That evening, the sheriff’s office said a detective pretended to be the minor and texted Cruz, who made sexually explicit comments.
Cruz was located and taken to Orange County Jail.
“As law enforcement officers, we are held to the highest standards of conduct whether on duty or off duty. He will never patrol the streets of Orange County again,” Sheriff John Mina said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office said that it will conduct an administrative investigation once criminal proceedings are complete.
Cruz has been with the uniform patrol division of the sheriff’s office since August 2021.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: