Oviedo police officer faces charges of child molestation

OVIEDO, Fla. — A 15-year veteran of the Oviedo Police Department is facing charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child, according to an arrest report.

Seminole County deputies arrested Joseph Meyer, 42, at his home around 10 a.m. Sunday. Detectives alerted the police department they were investigating Meyer around 3 a.m., police said.

According to booking records, Meyer faces six counts of molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16.

Oviedo police said Meyer knew the victim, and Seminole County investigators believe this is an isolated incident.

He is being held without bail at the Seminole County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 25.

"I know the public trust is easily lost and I just want people to be rest assured that the Oviedo Police department takes its mission very, very seriously and that we want people to know we don't condone this at all and that we stand by the full and complete investigation and wherever it leads, we will stand behind," said Police Chief Dale Coleman.

Meyer was hired by the Oviedo Police Department in September 2003, where he served in the community patrol division.

His last three performance reviews rated him as a “solid performer,” according to a news release.

His disciplinary record shows he received a written censure for using a Taser on someone who was driving a motorcycle at the time in November 2014.

Meyer also received a 12-hour suspension without pay for horseplay with his Taser, shocking a fellow officer.

The Oviedo Police Department placed Meyer on administrative leave without pay pending the results of the criminal investigation, as well as an internal affairs investigation.

Cox Media Group