Right. Thank you all for being here, Sheriff Lopez with the Osa County
Sheriff's office today. We're here because we just arrested Rachel Edwards
for having *** sexual relationship with *** minor who was serving *** sentence
for *** juvenile crime at *** juvenile facility. You know, it doesn't cease to
amaze me the kind of shocking things that have been happening lately in our
society and especially when something like this happens at *** detention
facility. You know, our public trust is just damaged even more. I'll tell you
if you work in any type of environment like this, you know, you need to just
resign or quit. If you're going to be doing stupid things like this, it
doesn't only scar this child for life, but it also law enforcement. It doesn't
matter in what capacity you're in. You know, we need to start changing the way
we conduct ourselves in society, especially here in Florida County, you
will be arrested and you will go to jail. She was very happy about being on
camera. She was crying and concerned, but she should have thought about that
before she went ahead and committed his act with the victim and she was ***
security guard at the facility and primarily working on the night shift.
The facility's name is the Kissimmee Youth Academy. It's part of the
Department of Juvenile Justice Edwards in her capacity as *** night guard and
initiated *** sexual relationship with the minor, *** detainee. Again, he was
*** minor,
the juvenile call, his mother and told her somewhat of what was going on. She
contacted the facility and we started an investigation.
Fortunately, at first *** juvenile and the suspect both denied anything was
happening. So they were very uncooperative. And this is just typical,
you know, *** victim is incarcerated, they feel alone there. Someone has
given them the intention that they might be missing for whatever reasons
and sometimes things go in this direction. But it's sad, but I'm glad
that it finally came out and he came forward and, you know, this suspect no
longer has control over this.
The suspect is about 33 years of age. The Jubba is only 17. Recently, the
juvenile did decide to come forward, like I said, and talk about what
happened. And I'm proud that he did. He said three weeks after the juvenile
arrived at the center, he got *** letter from the guard asking his age,
they started writing letters back and forth. And at one point, the juvenile
was moved from one cell to another, the cell he was moved to did not have ***
camera. And that's where all the sexual misconduct to our knowledge at this
point took place when interviewed by our detectives, MS Edwards gave ***
full confession for having sex with the juvenile. She's been arrested for the
following charges. Four counts of unlawful sexual activity with *** minor,
two counts of Lucius touching of *** minor.
I'm gonna say this in Spanish briefly. Where is our Spanish media here? Ok.
And then we'll take some questions. Um,
um,
I'll take your questions.
What, what do you mean by background? What does she have any, um, criminal
and what she was required to join?
I don't have that information as for *** criminal background, she didn't
have *** criminal background. However, I think that her job was *** contract
type work through the department of Juvenile Justice as *** security
company that do their third party security.
Could you say
no, we're not going to really see him person, why he's incarcerated and he's
*** juvenile. We got to protect that however, he is *** juvenile and this
shouldn't have happened. So you were saying that
he was on *** cell with no camera? Well, he was initially, they have camera
areas to my understanding he was moved to *** cell with no camera where the
sexual improper misconduct took place. Why he was moved there. That's all
being looked into by the Department of Juvenile Justice. That's all relevant
to this case. However, what we're focusing on the actual sexual conduct,
the actual actions that took place between the adult and the juvenile. Now,
if there are any changes that need to be made as *** juvenile justice does
their investigation holding *** look at that and say this is *** major, huge
problem that needs to be looked into. Was that his cell, the cell he was
moved into. I don't know if it was *** temporary cell so that he was moved
there and that's where all the improper conduct took place. And you said this.
But how wrong is this? She was having sex with,
I'm with you. You know, like I said, when I first started this, you know,
society has just taken *** very odd direction in these past 15, 20 years.
Social media brings *** lot of light and when these kind of things happen,
especially the way society and the community see law enforcement all
across America. You know, we're already like they say, bludgeoned enough with
things that happened. But, you know, like I've told people before in the
state of Florida, we're very fortunate. Our governor and our communities love
us as law enforcement officers and we're really fortunate. So when people
come here and do that, we make sure that we wean them out quick and arrest
them and give them all the charges, we can. So it doesn't happen again and
they never work in this type of capacity. She wasn't *** law
enforcement officer per se. She was contracted to party that might be an
issue. Also, sometimes government entities cut corners to hire someone in
cheaper labor. And that could be an issue. I don't have all those details,
but like I said, right now, we're just focusing on our improper sexual
relationship with this minor and she's been arrested and that's where we're at
today. Sheriff, could she have played *** role in this juvenile being moved
to *** different cell? Could have? Like I said, we're still looking into that.
Like I said, basically from the investigation that has been unfolded,
our main focus is going to be the improper sexual relationship. Anything
from there, it would be internal investigations, juvenile just look into
these things on why people are moved. Who made these moves. Did she have the
authority to make? There's *** lot of unanswered questions, but what we do
have is *** full confession and someone is in jail today for doing these things
long.
Well, from my understanding, the ju was transported there around January and
she was relieved of her duties in February and it was in *** matter of
*** two week period where they approximately started their
relationship. How many of your deputies are being investigated over the target
shooting
that's in the State of Florida. You can ask us that we're still waiting for
that too. Subpoenas have been issued. That was what, *** year ago, how long
has that case been taken?
You know. Yeah, it's been over *** year we issued subpoenas and everything. Are
you aware of any of your deputies manipulating documents? No, in terms of
the lawsuit against yourself because of apparent improper documents being filed
in that case. What do you have to say? I'm not even aware of that, ma'am. If
they have an open investigation, then they need to continue to investigate.
That's all right. They need to continue to investigate. That's something new to
me. All I know is that we've turned all over to the state and whatever they're
doing on their end. I hope they wrap it up soon because we need to return these
guys. Do you guys have any other questions related to this case? I do.
She,
I just to get this straight. This is *** guard in charge of this inmate in
charge of watching him. Instead she's doing what an improper sexual
relationship with his Children in *** cell, in *** cell with no. And just to
be clear they were having sexual intercourse. There was some counts of
sexual intercourse and there were some counts of oral and inappropriate
touching. It was *** full blown relationship between the two.
What did he say? He's *** juvenile. He's protected so we really can't give
too much time. He did open up to his parents though. They're the ones that
brought it to our attention. But, you know, she pretty much confessed. Didn't
give any details on the why. You know, so there's still *** lot of unanswered
questions. But, you know, like I said, whenever these kind of things happen,
they need to be brought to light and we bring these people to justice and this
facility does
*** juvenile facility, the juvenile justice and they house the juveniles
there. It's right here off the Simpson Road. You have any Spanish questions?
Sheriff's office?
Thank you. Thank you,
uh, Sheriff, I call them inmates. I, I, I don't wanna, uh, what do you call
them
the same?
I don't know what level
that song.
Bye.