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Bartow officer arrested, accused of teen sex

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BARTOW – Authorities say says a central Florida police officer was arrested after his wife told law enforcement he had sex with a 15-year-old girl.

The Ledger reports that 27-year-old Randy Velez is currently being held in the Polk County jail, charged with lewd battery and lewd molestation. The Bartow police officer is scheduled for a court appearance Thursday. It wasn’t clear if he had retained an attorney.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports that detectives tracked down the 15-year-old, and she told them she did have sex with Velez one time over the summer and that the two had talked about being in a relationship.