Florida sheriff's deputy arrested for allegedly soliciting teen for sex

A Florida sheriff's deputy has been accused of soliciting a minor he met while responding to a domestic violence call made by her parents.

Broward Sheriff's Deputy Jeremiah Thomas, 35, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following his arrest Tuesday on felony charges. Sheriff Gregory Tony announced the charges against Mr Thomas at a press conference where he discussed details of the case which he deemed “egregious”.

Mr. Thomas allegedly met the victim, a 17-year-old woman, while responding to a domestic disturbance call at her Pompano Beach home in September. Authorities said he gave the girl his home phone number and began texting her, at one point telling her he could be her “personal sheriff handcuffing me.”[s] you from time to time.

“This is one of the most grotesque and deliberate attempts to abuse a minor in our community,” Sheriff Tony said. “When you receive a domestic violence call, whether a minor or an adult, it is not the time to try to date, solicit contact or engaging in inappropriate communication, in this case… any type of vulgar comments. the sex he wants[ed] impose on this young woman.

The juvenile's father contacted the BSO, triggering an internal investigation and a separate investigation with assistance from the BSO's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. An investigator posing as the teenage victim had text conversations with the deputy for nine days.

During this period, Mr. Thomas, who has worked for law enforcement since 2017, allegedly sent nude photos of himself while on duty and told what he believed to be the girl he he wanted to meet her in private to perform sexual acts on her.

On October 22, Thomas and the police officer posing as the young girl arranged to meet in a hotel room. The suspect showed up at a hotel the next day, but the officer canceled the meeting.

Mr. Thomas was arrested a day later for solicitation of a minor, transmission of material harmful to minors, traveling to meet a minor, and attempted lewd and lascivious written solicitation.

Sheriff Tony said there was no indication Mr. Thomas was involved with other juveniles, but the investigation continues.

“The arrest of Deputy Jeremiah Thomas on these charges is deeply disturbing,” the sheriff said in a statement. “One of the most important obligations of law enforcement officers is to protect our greatest resource, our children. If these allegations are true, Deputy Thomas has broken that trust.

Mr. Thomas is being held at the Broward County Main Jail.