Florida Cop Won’t Face Charges for Allegedly Groping Teen in His Custody, Reviewing Her Nudes

A police officer in Florida was fired after allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl he was transporting to a juvenile assessment center. However, despite allegations of inappropriate conversation, groping the teen’s butt and breasts, and scrolling through her naked photos, according to the Tampa Bay Times, the former officer won’t face criminal charges.

Bobby Lubrido of the New Port Richey Police Department was reportedly fired from his job on August 12 after an internal investigation obtained by the Times found that the 43-year-old police corporal’s actions “were in violation of numerous departmental rules, regulations and departmental procedures.”

Kim Bogart, the Police Chief of New Port Richey PD, initially called the allegations “unfathomable,” since Lubrido had “an unblemished career,” according to WTSP. Following the investigation, Bogart called Lubrido’s actions “improper and unbecoming,” but maintained that despite a “preponderance of evidence,” he didn’t have “probable cause” to criminally charge him.

In July, Lubrido was tasked with transporting the girl, who had been deemed a runaway, from a hospital to a juvenile assessment center. But after reaching the detention center, Lubrido told the girl that they needed to go back to the hospital for medical signatures, which prolonged her time in his custody.

During the drive back, Lubrido allegedly unlocked the girl’s phone and started scrolling through her camera roll to watch videos of her twerking. The girl then told investigators that he logged into her Snapchat, which he admitted was an attempt to “really [try] to see what [her] titties look like.” The girl said that Lubrido looked at the naked photos “like 30 times” and was so distracted that he hit a deer while driving.

Once they reached the hospital, the officer reportedly uncuffed the girl, let her out of the car, and offered her half of his sandwich—which she ate, before he said it “wasn’t free.” This is when Lubrido allegedly handcuffed the girl (while groping her butt), put her back in the car, lifted her shirt and bra, and groped her breasts. The girl also told investigators that Lubrido asked if she’d have a threesome with him and her mother and that he’d stop by her house to “check up on her.” Lubrido has denied the teen’s allegations.

The investigation summary, which corroborated the incident with vehicle footage, stated that Lubrido “admitted to breaking protocol when he did not properly transport” the girl but “did not believe he did anything immoral or illegal.”

The detective also wrote in the report that the girl “told me the entire incident made her fearful and untrusting of police”—which would certainly be understandable.

Jezebel reached out to Bogart for further comment and will update if we receive a response.