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Former officer with internal allegations lands school job
Former Orange County corrections officer John Carrasquillo faced internal allegations of sexual battery before he got a job at an Osceola County high school. Carrasquillo was arrested for child abuse charges during his time working at the school. Communication gaps between agencies allowed for Carrasquillo to land the job.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A campus monitor and former girls’ basketball coach at Poinciana High School was arrested for child abuse, accused of pushing a student against a golf cart and illegally restraining him.
That same employee, John Carasquillo, had previously worked as a corrections officer at the Orange County Jail. He lost his corrections license and his job after an internal affairs investigation found he’d been accused of exposing himself to an inmate at the jail, sexually battering a former inmate, and stalking an acquaintance.
Osceola County school arrest
What we know:
Surveillance video from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office shows John Carrasquillo pushing a student into a golf cart and illegally restraining him at an Osceola County high school. He has pleaded not guilty to the child abuse charges.
Records show Carrasquillo previously worked as a corrections officer at the Orange County Jail, where internal affairs investigations uncovered multiple misconduct allegations. An internal affairs report concluded by a preponderance of evidence that Carrasquillo knowingly exposed his sexual organ and simulated a sexual act to an inmate; sexually battered a former inmate; and stalked an acquaintance.
Stalking charges
The backstory:
The first known trouble for Carrasquillo in Central Florida occurred in 2009, when he entered a pre-trial diversion program for stalking charges after repeatedly anonymously calling his wife's friend. He received a three-day workplace suspension.
Sexual battery allegations
In 2010, an Orange County Sheriff's Office incident report detailed that Carrasquillo met inmate Jesica Gallo in the booking center, and used the jail’s internal systems to look up her phone number. He called her repeatedly. Months later, detectives investigated him for sexual battery against her, collecting evidence like pubic hair and bodily fluids from what investigators said was the scene of a suspected crime.
Indecent exposure allegations
In 2013, jail investigators looked into allegations that Carrasquillo led an inmate behind a pillar and touched himself, finding video and cellular evidence. The Internal Affairs Unit conducted a monitored phone call where Carrasquillo apologized to his alleged victim three separate times for the incident he’s accused of, which the investigators considered an admission of guilt.
Why he never went to jail
Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show Carrasquillo lost his corrections license because of the allegations. However, he did not face criminal prosecution for those incidents.
Jesica Gallo ultimately decided not to move forward with prosecution at the time she was allegedly raped, stating she was scared because Carrasquillo knew where she lived and feared losing her children. The State Attorney's Office noted that when a victim is unwilling or unable to participate, it can significantly limit the ability to move a case forward.
She gave investigators another statement about the alleged rape in 2013, when the jail’s internal affairs unit was looking into Carrasquillo’s indecent exposure allegations.
The jail’s investigators say they forwarded the information to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, but the Sheriff’s Office stated it has no record of a case being reported in 2013 and never opened an investigation. Records provided by the jail prove its internal affairs unit did reach out to an Orange County Sheriff’s detective, asking to meet and speak about the findings of the jail’s investigation.
How he got a job with a school
The Osceola County School District stated it followed normal protocols during its hiring process, including background screenings. Because Carrasquillo was never arrested on the prior sexual battery or indecent exposure allegations, and because his stalking arrest was expunged, the incidents did not appear on his background check when he was hired at Poinciana High School.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not explained how the communication breakdown between the Orange County Jail and the Sheriff's Office occurred regarding the 2013 internal affairs findings. It remains unclear why the Sheriff's Office never opened a formal investigation or forwarded charges to the State Attorney's Office after receiving the jail's investigative file.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official records and statements provided by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Orange County Jail Internal Affairs Unit, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Osceola County School District, as well as an exclusive interview conducted by investigative reporter Marie Edinger with alleged victim Jesica Gallo.