Deputies: Seminole County juvenile detention worker accused of groping teen

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A juvenile detention specialist with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has been arrested on charges he inappropriately touched a 17-year-old girl, deputies said.

Juan Fabian was arrested Thursday and has since posted the $500 bail, deputies said.

The investigation began Wednesday when the teen said she was touched by Fabian while participating in the Sheriff’s Work Ethics and Training (SWEAT) program on Aug. 1, investigators said. The program is a supervised community service initiative for youth on probation and conditional release.

The teen told investigators she didn't say something sooner because she was afraid that no one would believe her.

The teen said she sat next to him in the first row of bench seats in a van, investigators said. The teen said Fabain rubbed her outer thighs, hips and then her breasts.

“This type of behavior will absolutely not be tolerated,” said Sheriff Dennis M. Lemma.  “We hold the men and women of this agency to the highest standards. This is a violation of the public trust and is completely contrary to our agency’s core values.”

The sheriff’s office has begun the termination process for Fabian, investigators said.  He's been been suspended with pay, investigators said.

Fabian faces charges of battery, a first-degree misdemeanor.

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said that if the girl had been 16 or younger, Fabian could have faced a more serious felony charge.

"The worst possible case scenario for this defendant is he's looking at some time in the county jail," Sheaffer said of the misdemeanor charge.

Cox Media Group