Verdict Reached in Trial of Miramar Police Captain

Capt. Juan de los Rios faced two charges of lewd and lascivious behavior. He was found guilty of one count for allegedly forcing the victim to expose her genitals, and not guilty of making her remove her shirt.

A veteran Miramar Police captain was found guilty one count of lewd and lascivious conduct and not guilty on another one stemming from his arrest for allegedly making a teen get naked to prove that she was not having sex in the back seat of a parked car.

Capt. Juan de los Rios faced two charges of lewd and lascivious behavior. He was found guilty of one count for allegedly forcing the victim to expose her genitals, and not guilty of making her remove her shirt.

He found a 15-year-old girl talking with a 19-year-old boy in the rear seat of a car in a Miramar industrial park on the afternoon of Jan. 18, according to his arrest affidavit.

De los Rios, 46, asked the girl if they had had sex in the car, authorities said. She told investigators that she said no, they were just talking, the office of Broward State Attorney Michael Satz said Friday.

But de los Rios, who has been on the Miramar Police force for 28 years, told her that she needed to remove her pants and underwear so if he could see if she’d had sex, authorities said. The fearful girl complied, and the police officer went on to “inspect” her with light from his flashlight and told her to pull down her blouse so he could check for “bruising,” the girl told police.

The officer then let them drive off, authorities said.

De los Rios turned himself in at the Broward County Main Jail on two counts of lewd or lascivious conduct.

“Captain De Los Rios’ conduct that led to his arrest and conviction is abhorrent and certainly not representative of the dedicated men and women of the Miramar Police Department. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the victim and those who were affected by this unfortunate incident," Chief Ray Black said in an email statement on Friday. "No member of the department is above the law and any report of such officer abuse of authority will be thoroughly investigated and if wrongdoing is found, appropriate measures will be taken.”

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