SAN JOSE — A police officer was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexual misconduct against a minor that occured between 2008 and 2012 while he worked as a facilitator at a Santa Clara County program providing guidance to parents, authorities said.
Saul Duran has been charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child aged 14 or 15, said Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said at a press conference Tuesday. He also allegedly targeted a second girl, the first survivor’s older sister, but those acts cannot be formally charged because they are outside the statute of limitations.
“Our actions today will hopefully show that there is no protection for any officer who is alleged to have committed such a serious crime or who has caused harm,” said SJPD Chief Paul Joseph at the press conference.
The investigation into Duran’s actions began June 18 after the two sisters, who are now adults, reported the incidents to the SJPD, Joseph said.
Duran met the sisters in an official capacity as a police officer while working with the Santa Clara County Parent Project, a program that provides guidance to parents raising their children, Joseph said. The alleged incidents occured when Duran began to interact with the girls outside the program, which is prohibited by the program’s policy, he added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.