HUDSON, Fla. – A former school resource officer was fired over misconduct, including inappropriate social media contact with students at a school in Hudson, Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a press conference on Friday.
In April, a parent notified the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office of an inappropriate conversation on social media between her child and Corporal Milton Arroyo, a school resource officer at Fivay High School.
An investigation later revealed Arroyo had shared his personal phone number and social media accounts with several female students. He had asked one of the students to “unzip her sweatshirt,” and “send a picture of her bra.” When the student informed the former school resource officer that her brother was present, Arroyo asked the student “Why don’t you go into the bathroom and take a picture?”, according to deputies.
In other conversations, Arroyo asked a female student “How old of a guy would you date?” and “Wanna see my ‘d’?” He also asked a female student to perform a sex act and admitted to having a dream about having sex with the student.
Arroyo also sent “weird emojis” and tried to FaceTime video chat with a female student while he was in bed, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators also discovered Arroyo used law enforcement databases to look up information on the students, their parents and staff at the school.
He was terminated on June 26 for “conduct unbecoming of a law enforcement officer.”
Deputies say Arroyo had already been disciplined in February after he was seen in a video giving a student the middle finger.
Sheriff Chris Nocco said Arroyo is cooperating with law enforcement. He reportedly told detectives that if a student had sent him illicit photos or videos, he would use their correspondence as a “teachable moment”—a statement deputies said they do not believe.
He will not be criminally charged for soliciting a minor, according to the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Nocco told the media Arroyo was “dancing on that line” between legal and illegal, and hadn’t done anything explicitly illegal.
Arroyo will, however, be charged with “offenses against computer networks and systems” for his unauthorized use of a law enforcement database.
Arroyo turned himself into the Pasco County Jail on Friday. He’s being held on a $5,000 bond.
Arroyo was hired by the sheriff’s office in January 2015. He worked with the New York State Police Department for 21 years before coming to the sheriff’s office.
Source: http://wfla.com