Officials: Pinellas CPI arrested after falsely claiming to notify police about child abuse report at daycare
Booking image for Jennifer De Jesus, provided by PCSO
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Pinellas County child protection investigator said she contacted St. Petersburg police about a child abuse allegation at a daycare, but it turned out she didn't and provided a fake police report in official records, according to the sheriff's office.
Wednesday, Pinellas County detectives announced they arrested 38-year-old Jennifer De Jesus. They said on April 12, her supervisor noticed discrepancies in a child abuse investigation that required law enforcement to respond to a daycare. The name of the business was not mentioned in a sheriff's office news release.
According to the agency, De Jesus told her supervisor that the St. Petersburg Police Department did conduct an investigation at the daycare. She was then directed to include the details in the case's documents and to include a police report number.
However, detectives said the St. Pete police report number not valid. Upon further review, they confirmed the agency didn't respond to the daycare with De Jesus.
CPI supervisors spoke to CPI De Jesus on multiple occasions, asking her for a valid St. Petersburg Police report number and for the names of the officers who responded to the daycare with her," according to the sheriff's office news release. "Each time, CPI De Jesus became nervous and stated she would gather the information for them; however, she did not provide a valid report number or names."
Detectives said De Jesus "fabricated case numbers and lied about requesting the St. Petersburg Police Department to respond to the daycare with her." They also said none of the children involved in the investigations "suffered harm due to the misconduct by De Jesus."
Official said De Jesus resigned from the position and was arrested. When interviewed, detectives said she admitted to not contacting the St. Petersburg Police Department and falsifying the records.