>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. ♪
NEWSFOURJAX. ♪ >> WHY COUNTY DEPUTY STRIPPED
OF HIS BADGE AFTER
INVESTIGATORS SAY HE SEXUALLY
ABUSED A 12 YEAR-OLD GIRL
DEPUTY PAUL MAURICIO NOW
CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS
OF BATTERY. THE SHERIFF IN
CLAY COUNTY, MICHELLE COOK,
ANNOUNCED THIS ARREST. EARLIER
TODAY NEWS 4 JAX OBTAINED THE
ARREST REPORT 4 DEPUTY
MAURICIO.
>> IN 3 HOURS, IT SAYS HE
SEXUALLY ABUSED THE GIRL
SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST
YEAR. NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER
CORLEY PEEL JOINING US LIVE
OUTSIDE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
CORLEY. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN
DEPUTY MAURICIO WAS CONFRONTED
BY DETECTIVES?
>> DEPUTY PALMER FIRST DENIED
THE ALLEGATIONS TO HIS
COLLEAGUES HERE AT THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE. BUT AS PRESS
REPORT SHOWS HE EVENTUALLY
CONFESSED TO SEXUALLY ABUSING
A 12 YEAR-OLD GIRL ON MULTIPLE
OCCASIONS. AND I SPOKE WITH A
CHILD ABUSE ADVOCATE TONIGHT
WHO SAYS IF THE BRAVE GIRL DID
NOT SPEAK UP, THIS ARREST
MIGHT HAVE NEVER HAPPENED.
>> PAUL MAURICIO, A DEPUTY
WITH THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE AND A NAVY VETERAN NOW
ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING A
12 YEAR-OLD GIRL. SHERIFF
MICHELLE COOK SAYS THE GIRL
WENT TO HER MOTHER IN TEARS
TUESDAY NIGHT SAYING MAURICIO
HAVE BEEN TOUCHING HER AND SHE
WANTED IT TO STOP. I WANT TO
SAY TO THE YOUNG WHO CAME
FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO
COMMEND HER.
>> FOR HER BRAVERY, ACCORDING
TO MURRAY’S, HE OWES ARREST
REPORT. THE ONGOING ABUSE
STARTED WHEN THE GIRL WAS 11.
MAURICIO INITIALLY DENIED THE
ALLEGATIONS TELLING
INVESTIGATORS THE GIRL WAS MAD
AT HIM.
>> ACCORDING TO THE ARREST
REPORT, THE 49 YEAR-OLD TOLD
DETECTIVES HE WAS VICTIMIZED
AS A CHILD AND DID NOT
UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS THE WAY
HE IS. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE
ULTIMATELY CONFESSED AND
REPEATEDLY SAID HE MADE A BIG
MISTAKE. IT DID NOT KNOW HOW
TO FIX IT. WE TEACH OUR
CHILDREN.
>> THAT, YOU KNOW, AN
AUTHORITY FIGURE IS THERE TO
PROTECT YOU. EXPECT A POLICE
OFFICER. IT’S. HARD TO EXPLAIN
TO A CHILD WANTS THAT TO
HAPPEN THAT THEY CAN TRUST
OTHER.
>> AUTHORITY FIGURES. I SPOKE
WITH KATHY SWAFFORD, WHO IS
THE CEO OF SAFE HAVEN. SHE IS
A CHILD ABUSE SURVIVOR WHO NOW
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN FACING
ABUSE. SHE SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT
FOR CHILDREN TO FIND AN ADULT
THAT THEY FEEL SAFE. SHARING
SECRETS WITH AND FOR PARENTS
TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
WHAT IS AND ISN’T APPROPRIATE
EARLY ON.
>> THEY NEED TO SAY ANY TIME
ANYBODY HAD TO SHOO AND THING
THAT THE YOU DON’T THINK IT’S
APPROPRIATE IN A PLACE YOU
DON’T THINK IT’S APPROPRIATE.
HEART MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE
COMFORTABLE.
>> YOU NEED TO COME TELL ME
YOU WON’T BE IN TROUBLE SWAP
OR SAYS SHE STAYED SILENT
ABOUT THE ABUSE SHE FACED FOR
YEARS. AND WHY DIDN’T YOU
SPEAK UP?
>> BECAUSE I NEVER HAD THAT
CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY
ABOUT.
>> THIS WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. I
THOUGHT IT WAS IT WAS NORMAL.
AND IT WOULD ALWAYS HAPPEN
LIKE WHEN I WANT SOMETHING.
SHE HOPES THE CASE INVOLVING
THE BRAVE GIRL IN CLAY COUNTY.
>> PREVENT OTHER CHILDREN FROM
BEING SILENCED
>> MAURICIO HAS BEEN WITH THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR 8 YEARS.
THE SHERIFF COOK SAYS HE WON’T
BE ALLOWED TO WORK HERE
ANYMORE. HE IS BEING HELD IN
CLAY COUNTY JAIL WITHOUT BOND
AND HIS NEXT COURT DATE IS MAY
10 WHERE THE PLT CHANNEL 4,
THE LOCAL STATION.
>> CORLEY YOU LEARNED ABOUT
SOME SIGNS INDICATING A CHILD
IS BEING GROOMED BY AN ABUSER.
>> JOY KATHY SWAFFORD TELLS ME
THAT SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT A
CHILD MAY BE GROOMED IS SEEING
IF THE POTENTIAL ABUSER
CONTINUES BUYING THE CHILD
GETS UNEXPECTEDLY ARE
RANDOMLY. SHE ALSO SAYS KEEP
IN MIND, IT’S STAY FINE.
APPARENT FINES THAT THEY’RE
SENDING E-MAILS OR TEXT
MESSAGES BEHIND THEIR BACK. IF
THEY START SPEAKING ABOUT ACTS
WHEN THEY DON’T TYPICALLY
SPEAK THAT WAY. ALSO, KEEP IN
MIND IF THE POTENTIAL ABUSER
TRIES TO ISOLATE THAT CHILD
AND SPEND TIME WITH THEM ALONE
WITHOUT THE PARENT PRESENT, HE
SAYS IF A CHILD DOES COME
FORWARD, ENSURE THEM THAT THEY
DID THE RIGHT THING. AND WE
HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION
ABOUT. FOR SURVIVORS OR
PARENTS, ANY RESOURCES THAT
THEY MAY NEED. WE HAVE ALL OF
THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AT NEWS. 4
JAX DOT COM.