Clearwater Police Officer Nicolas Paloma was arrested on two felony charges after a weekend on-duty incident.
Paloma was charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment in connection with the case on Clearwater Beach in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 15, 2023.
Paloma is accused of stopping a 32-year-old female tourist for jaywalking in the roundabout area of the beach just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
He then offered her a ride and is alleged to have requested and engaged in sex acts with the woman in exchange for the ride and for not citing her for jaywalking or charging her with disorderly conduct. He drove her around the beach for approximately 30 minutes. According to the arrest documentation, the victim did not feel she was free to leave.
In a secluded area, the victim was forced to perform oral sex on the officer in order to be allowed to exit the officer’s vehicle, according to arrest documentation.
According to Chief Eric Gandy, Paloma made attempts to hide his location during the incident.
The incident occurred when police responded to an argument involving two women at a beach hotel. That argument was between the victim and her friend and occurred after the incident.
Officers began investigating the case immediately and alerted the chain of command. Chief Eric Gandy ordered an immediate criminal investigation, and detectives from the Crimes Against Children and Families unit took over the investigation.
Detectives worked on the case throughout the day Sunday and Monday, culminating in the criminal charges today.
He is being booked in to the Pinellas County Jail after his arrest earlier this afternoon.
“What this officer did is reprehensible,” Chief Gandy said. “He’s someone who took an oath to enforce the law, not break the law in an egregious way while wearing a badge and a uniform.”
Paloma, who has been placed on administrative leave, has worked for the agency since 2018. He has no previous disciplinary history.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information on any similar cases should contact Clearwater Police at 727-562-4385.
On Thursday, October 19, 2023, Officer Nicolas Paloma was fired from his job at the Clearwater Police Department.