A San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) civilian employee has been slapped with charges of indecency with a child, authorities said. Jason Michael Gonzales, who works as a communications supervisor with the department, was indicted by a Bexar County grand jury and arrested this week, as per court records obtained by KSAT Investigates. The indictment stems from an incident that took place in May 2019, when Gonzales is accused of having a girl, who was younger than 17 years of age, to touch him inappropriately.

The SAPD has since placed Gonzales on administrative leave, according to a report by KENS 5. Gonzales has reportedly been a civilian employee with SAPD since December 2006 and is currently out on bond. His attorney, Nico LaHood, underscored the elapsed time between the alleged incident and the indictment, telling KSAT, “Mr. Gonzales is afforded all the constitutional rights as any other citizen in our country. The government has waited four years to indict this case, and that is significant, in our opinion. Mr. Gonzales maintains his innocence as we wait for the evidence to review,” 

An SAPD spokeswoman has confirmed that while Gonzales’ job status remains active, the accused is nevertheless on leave from the department. Despite the serious nature of the accusations, it is important to note that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Gonzales is due back in court next month to face the charges.