An Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputy who was arrested last week is accused of urinating into the mouth of a young girl multiple times over the span of nearly two years.
Jerome Zaid, 33, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of battery of a child and one count of sexual battery of a child under 12 years of age.
A warrant for his arrest, released Monday morning, details several instances where Zaid allegedly urinated into the mouth of girl, now age 5, from October 2017 through July 2019.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the case, and the agency said in a news release Monday afternoon that agents believe Zaid victimized at least two children under the age of 6, both of whom he had frequent contact with.
The investigation is ongoing, and agents believe there may be additional victims, the release states. If anyone has information about Zaid, they are asked to call the Pensacola Regional Operations Center at 850-595-2100.
Deputy arrested: Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputy arrested on suspicion of sexual battery of child
ECSO spokesman Maj. Andrew Hobbs on Friday confirmed Zaid was a deputy with the Sheriff's Office and said, "We are in the process of terminating his employment with the Sheriff's Office."
Hobb said that once the Sheriff's Office was made aware of the allegations against Zaid, the agency turned over the case to the FDLE. The warrant for Zaid's arrest was both written and served by FDLE.
She told investigators that Zaid would then instruct her to brush her teeth, the report stated.
The girl recounted the incidents typically occurred in the bathroom, except for one time when she had been wearing a yellow tutu butterfly costume, the report stated.
Investigators later obtained a statement from a person who verified the girl had dressed as a butterfly for Halloween when she was 3 years old and had been left alone with Zaid not long after Halloween that year.
The girl told investigators the last time an incident had occurred was when she had been left alone with Zaid earlier this month on July 17. Again, investigators obtained a statement from an unnamed person who verified that the child had been under Zaid's supervision at that time.
County records indicate Zaid was booked into the Escambia County Jail at 5:42 p.m. Friday without bond. As of 11:20 a.m. Monday morning, he remained in custody.
Zaid's mugshot is exempt from release under Florida law because he is a law enforcement officer.
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