Miami-Dade firefighter Kevin Kerlin was formally indicted on felony charges this week after he allegedly solicited a minor through a series of sexual messages on social media.
Kerlin, 45, is being charged with unlawful use of a two-way communication device and solicitation of a minor.
According to the police report, investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Kerlin in May 2018. They reportedly found inappropriate messages Kerlin sent to a 14-year-old girl in Jupiter.
Investigators went through the teenager’s phone and discovered that she and Kerlin sent each other messages on Snapchat. In one message, Kerlin allegedly wrote, “That [expletive] that’s going through my mind right now! I’m going straight to hell.”
Kerlin purportedly asked the teen for nudes and his wife found a nude picture on his phone in April, the report said. That prompted him to tell the teen that they had to “be good” for a while and that “when the time is right we will know . . . when to have sex without getting caught,” according to Local 10.
Investigators claim that the messages Kerlin sent to the teen implied that they had engaged in sexual activity. The firefighter was arrested in May and was placed on paid administrative leave until he was formally indicted on felony charges. Kerlin has now been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
Kerlin has worked for the Miami-Dade rescue department since 2000. He reportedly has the full support of Miami-Dade firefighters union, who are waiting for the case to move through the criminal justice system. The Miami-Dade rescue department is conducting its own investigation and a pre-disciplinary hearing is scheduled for next week.
“MFDR expects all employees to conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism, both on and off duty,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson Erika Benitez said, according to news sources. “We realize the important role we have in providing lifesaving care to the community we serve.”
Another incident involving a minor and an adult male was reported in Miramar earlier this week. Jesus Condom was arrested last Wednesday for allegedly attempting to abduct a 12-year-old girl.
Condom, 26, is being charged with attempted false imprisonment of a child younger than 13; attempted interference with the custody of a minor; and driving an unregistered vehicle and attaching a license plate that was not assigned to it. He was ordered held on $100,002 bond.
According to the arrest report, the incident occurred on Nob Hill Road early on Wednesday morning. A 12-year-old middle school student was walking along the sidewalk when a man driving a Honda Civic pulled up alongside her and offered her a ride.
When she refused his offer, the man reportedly yelled and cursed at her, the 12-year-old told investigators. The man drove his car in front of her to try and block her path, but the child managed to run away and call the police.
Condom was arrested a little later in a parked Honda Civic two miles from where the alleged incident occurred. The 12-year-old girl positively identified him, sources say.
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Source: 11.20.18 firefighter faces employer’s probe after arrest over sexual messages with teen.pdf