JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Clay County Sheriff's Office deputy was sentenced to 25 years for molesting a victim less than 12 years old and three counts of sexual assault Wednesday.
Paul Mauricio changed his plea to guilty after originally entering a not-guilty plea in May.
He read an apology to his family, primarily his children, and spoke about how he is now closer to God before the judge announced his sentence.
Deputies say on April 12, 2022, at 9:30 p.m., CCSO received a call about a sexual battery that day. Deputies met with a woman who said her daughter came into her bedroom crying and told her about inappropriate sexual contact from earlier that day, saying that it was not the first time it happened.
According to the arrest report, the victim said it happened "more times than she could remember."
Investigators said Mauricio and the alleged victim know each other but did not disclose their relationship in order to protect the victim's identity.
The arrest report said Mauricio confessed to the allegations, and said that he had made a "big mistake."