Juvenile Detention Officer Accused Of Molesting Teen Inmates

CLEARWATER, FL -- A former Florida juvenile detention officer remains behind bars following his arrest Tuesday after being accused of sexually molesting three 17-year-old inmates.

Joshua Ryan Harrison, 27, is being held on a $305,500 bond for two counts of sexual battery, one count of battery and one count of introducing contraband into a juvenile detention facility.

According to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, his office launched an investigation into Harrison on Jan. 30 at the request of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, which had received a report from another juvenile justice officer regarding Harrison's conduct.

Gualtieri said Harrison, who was hired on May 1, 2018, as an officer for the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center at 5255 140th Ave. N., Clearwater, had been working the night shift, a time when he should have rarely come into contact with the pre-trial juvenile inmates because they were confined to their cells from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.

However, Gualtieri said Harrison began befriending some of the inmates, bringing them food, drinks and other contraband, showing them pornography on his cell phone, giving them Xanax and, in one case, promising financial help.

"He passed notes to them and was having personal interaction with them during night, offering them things and grooming them for sexual encounters," said Gualtieri.

Once he gained their trust, Gualtieri said he would perform various sexual acts with the teens. In one case, he promised to pay the teen $400 to keep what occurred between them a secret. Another teen refused to submit to Harrison, and punched him when Harrison tried to touch him.

During the investigation, Gualtieri said detectives also found five other teen inmates who said Harrison tried to sexually molest them.

"Predators know who to target, they know who’s vulnerable," said Gualtieri.

Over time, Gualtieri said Harrison became bolder.

"He was getting pretty blatant about it and rumors started," he said. "One of the other officers reported what he'd heard."

He was fired Feb. 4 when detention officials recovered a cell phone number from one of the 17-year-old inmates. When they called the number, Harrison answered, said Gualtieri.

He was arrested Tuesday but Gualtieri said the investigation is far from over.

"So many kids cycle in and out of that juvenile justice center," he said. "Something tells me there are more (victims) out there."

Harrison isn't the only detention officer under investigation, however.

Gualtieri said two other officers were aware of what Harrison was doing and didn't report it.

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