HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is searching for more possible victims in a child molestation case after an HCSO deputy was arrested.
HCSO said Pablo Rios Hernandez, 41, was arrested and charged in a child molestation case after over a year-long investigation.
On Feb. 24, 2023, detectives went to a home in Hillsborough County after reports that an adult man was possibly molesting a 12-year-old girl. On March 7, 2023, detectives with the Special Victims Unit served a search warrant at the home and located numerous electronic storage devices with evidence.
On Sept. 11, 2024, after their investigation, HCSO said they arrested Rios Hernandez and charged him with sexual battery familiar or custodial authority, lewd or lascivious molestation defendant over 18 victims 12-15, sell or distribute obscene material to a minor, and unlawful use of two-way communications device.
Rios Hernandez was a former HCSO deputy from 2006 to 2019. HCSO said his employment history included several traffic crash incidents and a failure to respond to a subpoena.
Investigators said he was also a former youth group leader at First Baptist Church of Riverview from August 2021 to February 2022. Detectives are asking anyone who may be a victim of Rios Hernandez to contact HCSO investigators at (813) 247-8200.
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