2 Past Chiawana HS Employees Under Investigation, Sex with Minor
Two different past Chiawana employees are under investigation for sex with a minor thanks to a joint investigation by the Pasco police and Pasco School District.
One suspect was a para-educator and the other was a security guard. Both are facing allegations of RCW 9A.44.096 Sexual Misconduct with a Minor in the First Degree.
The allegations say that both employees had a dating relationship with a student while they worked at Chiawana High. Reports say that both relationships included sex that was off campus.
Darrell Thomas Palomo has been identified as the past security guard employee and was booked into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for Sexual Misconduct 1st.
The second suspect has been contacted and interviewed but not arrested. His case is under review by the PA for charges.
Pasco police are looking for any "as-yet-unreported incidents of this type" related to these cases but do not think a current danger exists to the students or the public.
If you have any information to add to this case, contact Detective Chris Caicedo at caicedoc@pasco-wa.gov.
Original Post:
Pasco Police
28 mins ·
KEEPING YOUR KIDS SAFE: As a result of a joint investigation between the Pasco PD and the Pasco School District, two men who had been previously employed by the PSD at Chiawana High School, one as a para-educator and the second as a security guard, are suspects in separate allegations of RCW 9A.44.096 Sexual Misconduct with a Minor in the First Degree. Neither one is currently employed by the PSD. One has been booked into Franklin County Jail.
The law Sexual Misconduct 1st makes it illegal for a school employee meeting certain conditions to have sex, even consensually, with a student under 18 years old. The allegations are that two former employees had a dating relationship at separate times with a Chiawana student while working there, and the relationships included sex off-campus.
Once the PSD and Pasco PD were alerted to the allegations, officers and detectives launched their investigation, resulting in the former security guard, Darrell Thomas Palomo, DOB 091783 of Pasco, being booked into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for Sexual Misconduct 1st. The second suspect, the para-educator, has been contacted and interviewed by detectives; he was not booked but his case will be reviewed by the PA for charging.
Neither the PSD nor the Pasco PD believes that any further risk to students exists, but if there are additional as-yet-unreported incidents of this type, people with info are urged to contact the Pasco PD immediately. Anyone with info about this current case is urged to contact Detective Chris Caicedo at caicedoc@pasco-wa.gov.