Newly hired St. Pete PD employee arrested for sexually explicit conversations with who he believed were teens

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A newly hired employee with the St. Petersburg Police Department was arrested on Friday for having sexually explicit conversations with who he believed were teenage girls.

Officials with the department said Michael Cherico was in his fifth day on the job with SPPD when he was arrested. He was recently hired as a civilian property and evidence clerk for the department.

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Detectives said Cherico is accused of having sexually explicit conversations with two people, who he thought were a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl. They said he also sent an explicit photo.

After his arrest, Cherico was fired from his job at SPPD.

He was arrested on multiple charges, including unlawful use of a two-way communication device, transmission of harmful material to a minor as well as luring and enticing, according to authorities.

Police said he would be booked into the Pinellas County Jail.

The Source: The information in this story was released by the St. Petersburg Police Department.

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