OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County summer camp is working to notify parents after it was discovered that a registered sex offender was hanging out with their children.
Channel 9’s Jeff Levkulich uncovered a picture of Louis Garcia surrounded by children at a summer camp run by the Toho Water Authority in Osceola County.
Levkulich found out the company already knew about Garcia’s sex offender status, and the company didn’t think it was a problem for Garcia to give the new campers a tour.
The picture appeared in a newsletter for the Toho Water Authority.
Garcia was found guilty in 1993 of lewd acts upon a child.
Management of Toho Water Authority said the crimes happened more than 20 years ago and Garcia hasn’t had an incident since.
“He was never left unsupervised. The safety of our campers is always our first priority,” said Mary Rose Guidone, the public information coordinator for Toho Water Authority. “We will definitely be reaching out to the parents and ensuring them that their children’s safety is always our first priority.”
Officials said Garcia will no longer be a part of the summer camp program.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Garcia did nothing wrong because he is no longer on probation.
Because his crimes happened before 2004, he is not held to the same standards that someone convicted of similar crime currently would face.
All he is required to do it register with the department in order to show proof of where he lives.