Randy Velez. (Polk County Sheriffs Office)
A Florida police officer accused of raping a 15-year-old girl he met while working.
Bartow Police Officer Randy Velez, 27, was arrested Tuesday by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He was charged with lewd molestation and lewd battery.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Velez’s Wife Told Police Her Husband Admitted to Sexually Assaulting the Girl
Velez. (Bartow Police/Facebook)
Velez, of Lakeland, was arrested after his wife, Eloisa, called the Bartow Police Department and said her husband had admitted to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. She told police she had known since October that he had cheated on her, but said she learned the age of girl for the first time this week, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Police said detectives interviewed the girl and she told them that she had sexual intercourse with Velez once during the summer.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Velez and his wife both said they were having martial issues over the past few months. She told police her husband “hadn’t been himself,” and when she pressed him on it, he admitted to the sexual assault.
2. He Met the Girl Through His Job as a Cop & Then Friended Her on Facebook
According to the affidavit, Ofc. Randy Velez had been fighting with his wife. It sounds like he developed relationship with 15yo as revenge.
Velez told detectives he met the girl while on the job and then became friends with her on Facebook, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He said they began to get to know her after conversing “casually” on the social media website.
“Randy said the more he and the victim got to know each other the more he started to have feelings for her,” he said, according to court documents.
He said he went to the victim’s house while working at least once a day. They talked about sex and he asked her for kisses, police said.
3. He Told His Wife He Is ‘Embarrassed’ & ‘Should Be in Jail’ During a Recorded Phone Call
Officer Randy Velez. (Bartow Police/Facebook)
As part of the investigation, detectives recorded a phone call between Velez and his wife, according to court documents obtained by The Ledger.
In the call, Velez told his wife, “he should be in jail, he is embarrassed, and he doesn’t feel good that he did what he did,” according to police.
He also said, “that it takes planning and he just got lucky that day,” about the time he assaulted the girl.
4. He Was Recently Appointed to a Community Services Role in the Bartow Department
Velez was appointed to a position on the Bartow Police Department’s Community Services Team in April.
According to the press release, the team focuses on “quality of life issues which impact the lives of people on a day-to-day basis.”
“Because the C.S.T. Officers are normally not answering emergency calls for service, they are able to focus on solving chronic problematic issues, by working with agencies such as local schools, Code Enforcement and neighborhood associations. officers can be successful when approaching those chronic problems such as speeding and traffic, drugs, juvenile issues, and burglaries, with a plan and a coordinated effort,” the department says.
5. He Is Being Held in Jail Until a Court Appearance
Bartow Police officer Randy Velez resigned after admitting to having sex with a 15 year old girl. Department “saddened” by allegations @bn9
Velez is being held at the Polk County Jail until his first court appearance, which is scheduled for Thursday morning.
The Bartow Police Department said they are “saddened” by the allegations, according to Bay News 9. His employment status was not immediately available.
