Leesburg, Fla.--A Leesburg Police Department officer has been placed on leave after being accused of sexual misconduct towards a 23-year-old woman he arrested during a traffic stop early Wednesday.
According to department officials on Thursday, the incident was reported and the allegations are being investigated by internal affairs as well as by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"The allegations are of a criminal nature and are taken very seriously by the administration of the Leesburg Police Department," said Capt. Rob Hicks, police spokesman. "Our primary focus in this investigation is to seek the truth."
According to an arrest affidavit, the officer stopped the woman's Chevrolet pick-up truck near U.S. Highway 441 and County Road 44 in Leesburg after noticing a tag light was out. The officer checked her license and discovered the woman had eight active suspensions and she was arrested on charges of driving on a suspended license.
Other than the incident occurring after a traffic stop, Hicks would not release any details on the sexual allegations, pending the ongoing internal investigation. According to a friend at the woman's Eustis home, however, the officer took her to the Leesburg police station to complete his administrative duties on the arrest and then began driving her to the Lake County jail.
The officer then pulled into a back alley near the Lake Square Mall, removed her handcuffs and forced her to touch him and perform oral sex.
The woman bonded out of jail later Wednesday. The Daily Commercial does not identify victims of sexual allegations.
The officer has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Hicks would not name the officer involved. However, according to the woman's arrest affidavit, Henry Larue was the arresting officer.