PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A 32-year-old Pasco County deputy is accused of communicating with a 13-year-old girl and deleting Snapchat during an active criminal investigation into those communications, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) said the charge stems from an investigation that began on March 5. Investigators said the deputy, identified as Justine Lopez Rodriguez, was assigned to a security detail at the school when he initiated and maintained communication with the student on Snapchat.
The affidavit states the student told investigators the conversations began with general topics but later became uncomfortable and included statements she interpreted as suggestive. The student also reported receiving a photo depicting what appeared to be a dead body, which investigators said was consistent with images from a skeletal remains investigation the deputy had worked on.
Authorities said the deputy acknowledged communicating with the student and later admitted he deleted the Snapchat application after being notified of a criminal allegation and before investigators could review the messages.
The deputy is charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, based on the timing of the deletion and his knowledge of the investigation.
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