A rookie police officer was arrested in Daytona Beach on accusations of groping a woman in his custody and falsifying official records.
Officer Larry Leon Jones, 22, was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he donned a new uniform -- an orange jailhouse jumpsuit.
He has since been released on $7,500 bond.
Officer Jones is on unpaid administrative leave until the Daytona Beach Police Department’s internal investigation is completed.
Officer Jones was arrested Tuesday afternoon, after his own police department conducted a criminal investigation surrounding what happened when Jones was transporting a woman who was arrested last week.
Jones has been charged with battery, false imprisonment and falsifying official records.
“He’s saying that he stopped one time, the system shows that he stopped twice at two different locations," said Daytona Beach Police spokesperson Jimmie Flynt.
The woman was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and property damage.
According to Officer Jones’ arrest warrant, Jones said he stopped his cruiser once to adjust her handcuffs, however, she said Officer Jones stopped his car twice, one time groping her while claiming to body search.
“He’s charged with battery because she’s alleging that he groped her breasts. Breasts does not fall up under [the] sexual battery statute, so that’s why he was charged with battery," Flynt explained.
Jones, who has been on the job for less than a year, has a clean record with the department.
"From my understanding he doesn’t have any iIA (internal affairs) complaints and there’s nothing in his disciplinary file," Flynt said.
We spoke to the alleged victim’s mother by phone. Her only reaction to Officer Jones' arrest was, “we’re glad that justice is served.”