An off-duty Santa Clara County correctional deputy was arrested Monday on suspicion of child molestation, according to the San Jose Police Department.
Anthony Diaz, 33, of Santa Clara, was booked into County Jail on felony charges of sex acts with a child under 10 years old and child abuse, police said. The incidents occurred in San Jose in spring 2012 when Diaz lived with the 9-year-old victim's mother, SJPD's Sexual Assaults Investigation Unit said.
Sheriff Laurie Smith addressed the allegations in a statement Tuesday, saying Diaz has been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
"The Sheriff’s Office has high expectations of every Correctional Deputy’s conduct, both on and off duty,” she said. "The allegations are deeply disturbing. If they are true, this Correctional Deputy did not meet the standards of our office, and he must be held accountable for his actions."
The arrest is the latest in a string of incidents that have plagued the Sheriff's Office, including three correctional deputies who stand accused of murder in the death of inmate Michael Tyree.
