https://www.news4jax.com/news/local...exually-abused-12-year-old-girl-sheriff-says/
CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy accused of ongoing sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl has been arrested and will be stripped of his badge, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Thursday.
Deputy Paul S. Mauricio, an eight-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, is charged with capital sexual battery and custodial sexual battery. Cook explained that the capital sexual battery charge involved incidents when the girl was younger than 12, and the custodial sexual battery charge was for incidents after she turned 12.
Cook said it’s not yet determined how many counts of each charge Mauricio, 49, could face.
She said the 12-year-old went to her mother Tuesday night, crying, and told her about being sexually abused by an adult earlier in the day.
According to Mauricio’s arrest report, the girl told her mother what she was going to say, “It’s going to break your heart.” She said the abuse started when she was 11, that she was “tired of it” and wanted it to stop.
“I just want to commend her for her bravery in coming forward with such a difficult conversation with her mom,” Cook said. “I don’t know that she will ever see this or hear this, but for a young lady to come forward at 12 years of age to disclose such a difficult thing, she is a very brave young girl.”
The mom called authorities, and the Department of Children and Families and the Sheriff’s Office began an investigation. Cook said Mauricio was placed on an emergency suspension and kept away from the girl.
She said Mauricio and the girl are known to each but their relationship is not being disclosed to protect the girl’s identity.
During an interview with authorities, the girl detailed a “pattern of sexual abuse” that had been “ongoing for some time,” Cook said.
When Special Victims Unit detectives interviewed Mauricio, he at first denied the allegations, saying the girl was mad at him, according to the arrest report. Then he said he’d been abused as a child and did not understand why he is the way he is.
