JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer previously arrested by JSO has been arrested again on federal charges. An indictment said it was related to the attempted production of child porn.
Authorities arrested John Burgos today, saying he tried to produce child porn for four years. It comes after he was accused of abusing his badge to target a victim.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
“The exploitation of a child is an extremely serious crime in the federal system,” Former FBI agent Dale Carson said.
Carson said while it’s only one count, if found guilty of this first-degree felony, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
“It’s serious and of course, it has to do with the number of images and those kinds of things,” Carson said.
The court documents said federal agents learned about the crime when his phone and computer were seized in October. That’s around the same time JSO arrested and fired him.
Action News Jax told you about that case, where investigators said they arrested a man for domestic violence against his girlfriend.
Read: Jacksonville police: Arrested officer came to victim’s home with no body cam, called her ‘beautiful’
Officials said Burgos went back to the scene, supposedly to help her find a safe place to stay. However, the report claims he then began to make advances on her, calling her “a beautiful girl” and asking her to take her clothes off to “check for injuries.”
“With this arrest, JSO sends a clear message that we will not tolerate when a member of this agency violates the law and threatens the public trust in law enforcement,” JSO Director Personnel and Professional Standards Brian Kee said.
While investigating that, an indictment reveals detectives found evidence from 2015 to 2019 that he convinced at least one minor to create sexually explicit content so he could record it.
“Well, it’s troubling clearly and those are individuals we do not want in the police department at all,” Carson said.
Burgos had been employed with JSO for about six years and had a track record of problematic behavior. The incidents include three traffic accidents, two sustained incidents of failing to comply with work standards, a violation of weapons policy, incompetence, and rudeness.
Now, he is facing federal charges and is no longer with the agency.
A judge ordered Burgos to remain in custody at least until next Friday.
He is set to be in court Thursday for the October charges, and in court on Friday for the federal ones.
Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez spoke with his wife who did not want to comment on the situation.
She also reached out to JSO who would not comment either, since he is no longer employed with the agency.
Read: Clay County elected official resigns after child sex sting operation arrest
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
