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.
ABC Action News Mugshot Policy
When a mugshot is used
If the person is still on the loose and a potential threat to the community; if there is a good chance that showing the suspect would help identify additional victims or otherwise protect the public from a serious threat or if the crime or the suspect is of such a significant note that seeing them in a mugshot is in the greater public interest.
Using previous mugshots
Only if the story is specifically talking about that previous crime
We do not show mugshots of victims
This policy started in early 2021
ABC Action News meteorologist Denis Phillips provides an update on the developing tropical disturbance and its impacts on our area.
