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School resource officer accused of misconduct with student
A school resource officer assigned to Seminole High School has been arrested and fired after authorities accused him of inappropriate conduct involving a 17-year-old student.
SANFORD, Fla. - A former police officer with the Sanford Police Department has been arrested, accused of having inappropriate conversations with a high school student, the agency said.
Police said the officer was assigned to Seminole High School in Sanford, and worked there from July-December 2025. He was fired on Dec. 17, 2025. Nearly a month later, he was arrested on several charges.
What we know:
Sanford police identified the former school resource officer as Pedro Enrique Da Silva. He was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, on several charges:
- Written solicitation of certain minors to commit a lewd or lascivious act
- Sex offense authority figure solicit engage sexual conduct with student
- Obscene materials – show obscene material to a minor
According to police, on Dec. 17, another officer reported that Da Silva was having inappropriate communications with a 17-year-old female student. Da Silva was removed from the school and his position – and a criminal investigation was launched, the police department said in a statement.
That investigation revealed that Da Silva had "a number of inappropriate interactions" with the student while on duty as the school resource officer at Seminole High School, the police department said. Those interactions happened between October and December 17.
Police said during one interaction, Da Silva allegedly made a "lewd statement" towards the girl, and then showed her several explicit photos of himself on his cell phone. Police said the interaction was captured on surveillance footage.
Police said Da Silva joined Sanford Police in June 2024. He worked at Seminole High School from July 28, 2025 to December 17, 2025.
What they're saying:
"The officer coming forward identified that there was an issue or concern and reported it immediately. This is an example of what I expect from every single one of my officers. This man’s actions can be described as nothing but vile, disgusting, and repulsive. This type of conduct will not be tolerated," said Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith in a statement.
"His duty was to protect the children on that campus, and instead he acted as a predator, using his position to manipulate and attempt to groom a 17-year-old child. He is a husband and a parent himself. How sickening is his conduct? To be clear, he is a predator; the worst type of criminal."
"We are thankful for the quick and decisive action taken by the Sanford Police Department to remove this individual from his duty as soon as allegations of inappropriate communication and conduct with a student were reported," said Seminole County Public Schools Superintendent Serita D. Beamon in a statement. "We will continue to fully cooperate with this investigation and encourage any student or staff member who may have information relevant to this case to come forward."
What you can do:
Police are asking anyone with information or any student who believes they have had an inappropriate interaction with Da Silva to contact them or Crimeline.
- Crimeline: 800-423-TIPS (8477), or crimeline.org.
- Sanford non-emergency: 407-665-6650
The Source: Sanford Police announced the former officer's arrest in a news release on Jan. 14, 2026.