MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ — A deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has been arrested for unlawful sexual conduct.
Officials say Deputy Gary Kaplan has been placed on administration leave, pending an internal investigation.
According the MCSO Jail website, Kaplan was arrested and booked into jail on Saturday.
According to police documents, a victim of a domestic violence incident in August said she was given a ride by "Gary" to her home. He returned multiple times and engaged in sex acts with her while her case was still open.
Text messages between the victim and detective show that Kaplan admitted to having sex with her, and after he was told she was pregnant, he reportedly offered to pay for an abortion.
Documents show that Kaplan was worried about his job and knew that he should not have been having sexual relations with the victim while still investigating her case.
Sheriff Penzone released this statement regarding Kaplan's arrest:
"MCSO will continue to hold our employees accountable for behaviors that are in conflict with our values. As the Sheriff, I will be intolerant of violations of public trust and/or abuse of the law. We owe it to the community to be transparent and accountable. My standard will remain unwavering."
Authorities are asking anybody with information on this investigation to call them at 602-876-TIPS (8477), or by sending an email to tips@MCSO.maricopa.gov.
