A South Florida police officer inspected more than driver's licenses when he approached a teen couple sitting in the back of their car, according to authorities.
Juan De Los Rios, Miramar police captain and a 28-year police veteran, was arrested Friday on two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct after he allegedly required a 15-year-old girl to take her pants off so that he could use a flashlight to inspect whether she had sex with the 19-year-old also in the car.
The incident happened on January 18 in the parking lot of a Miramar industrial park, according to the arrest warrant.
The underage victim told police that an officer, whom she later identified as De Los Rios, approached the vehicle and asked what they were doing there.
According to the girl's statement, the officer leaned against the car window and asked if the couple was having sex. The victim and witness both said "No, no, no, Officer, no," but De Los Rios allegedly told them he needed to check.
Here's the reported exchange :
The victim asked him "Check what"? The offenders said "I need to see inside." The victim said, "Inside what?" The victim stated the offender indicated in between her legs. The victim further advised the offender said "I need you to pull down your pants."
The victim advised she pulled her pants down halfway and the offender told her "I need you to take it all the way off."
She stated she then observed him with a flashlight and he said "I need you to open it" meaning; quoted by the victim in her statement "my area."
The victim stated the offender then looked at her vaginal area with his flashlight. She sated the offender did not touch her at all. She stated she put her clothes back on at which time the offender asked her, "No anal sex? No sex in general?" The victim told him "No. No."
The victim eventually told family members about the encounter, and went to police and identified De Los Rios who has been on administrative leave since the complaint was filed in January.
After a warrant for his arrest was issued Friday, De Los Rios turned himself in.
Hours later, he posted the $30,000 bond and was released from Broward County Jail.
If convicted, the police captain faces 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that an account of the incident is from the victim's statement.