Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy arrested for allegedly contacting minor for sexual purposes

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Charges have been filed by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office against a Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy for contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex crime.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office says 42-year-old Francisco Perez was arrested after they received a report on March 30 that he engaged in inappropriate behavior with a teenager in 2022. An investigation was immediately launched and Perez was placed on paid administrative leave.

Perez has since been booked into the Fresno County Jail on a felony charge of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex crime and a misdemeanor charge of annoying a minor. His bail is set at $20,000.

Officials say due to this incident being a private, sensitive matter, they will not be revealing specific details as to what happened.

Investigators say there is no evidence showing anything physical took place between Perez and the teenager.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni released the following statement on the incident:

"Our office has a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct and any allegations of it are treated as a top priority," Zanoni said. "You have our department's full commitment to continue this mission and I encourage everyone to report any concerns to us you may have right away."