CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Florida police officer is accused of asking a tourist for sexual favors after he stopped her for jaywalking early Sunday, authorities said.
Nicolas Paloma, 29, was arrested Tuesday and was charged with sexual battery by a law enforcement officer and false imprisonment, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
Paloma, who has been with the Clearwater Police Department since 2018, allegedly activated the lights in his unmarked vehicle at about 2:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday to stop a 32-year-old woman for allegedly jaywalking. Paloma allegedly told the woman that she also could be charged with disorderly conduct, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Clearwater police Chief Eric Gandy said that the victim entered Paloma’s vehicle. He added the officer offered to take the woman back to her hotel and allegedly said he would “take care” of the charges against her by “doing things for him,” according to WFTS-TV.
“Officer Paloma even made efforts to defeat our ability to track his vehicle,” Gandy told reporters. “For approximately 30 minutes, Officer Paloma transported the victim around to various locations on Clearwater Beach, engaged in sex acts with her before dropping her off down the street from her hotel.”
Police learned about the incident after they responded to a dispute between the victim and a friend at the woman’s hotel, WTVT reported.
The victim then told officers about the alleged incident with Paloma, according to the television station.
Gandy said he was told about the incident on Sunday. Paloma was placed on leave and was later arrested after an investigation was launched, the Times reported.
“I had to check myself before coming in here, because I’m exceptionally upset at the betrayal of trust in the level of confidence that people have in our officers,” Gandy told reporters. “It’s exceptionally damaging to our reputation and the reputation of everyone in law enforcement.
“It erodes the confidence in our profession, and on a personal level, I know how hard we struggle to maintain trust. So, for me, having to come here today was infuriating because I have to have this conversation. But it’s an important conversation to have.
Gandy said there is a possibility that more victims may have been impacted by Paloma’s actions since he has been on the force, WFTS reported.
“We have to proceed in an abundance of caution,” Gandy told reporters. “This is a guy who, under the color of law, took this action, and we have to be very careful to ensure that we don’t have anyone else out there. We just don’t know at this juncture.”