A Miramar Fire Rescue employee, Julio Roman, 56, has been apprehended and charged with offenses involving a minor, including the solicitation and transmission of harmful material, according to authorities. Roman, a logistics technician responsible for procurement, is now facing scrutiny after nearly a decade of service within the department. He was taken into custody yesterday early at his residence, and Miramar Police conducted the arrest with assistance from the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Initial reports from Local 10 News reveal that Roman's arrest followed an alert received by the Miramar Police from an out-of-state jurisdiction regarding his alleged criminal behavior; the case now involves the combined efforts of Miramar Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division and BSO’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. While details regarding the specific nature of the communications and photos are scarce, Roman is accused of engaging in lewd exchanges with an individual believed to be a minor.
Following the incident, Miramar Fire Rescue promptly placed Roman on administrative leave, as relayed in a statement obtained by Local 10 News, "In light of this morning's arrest, we immediately placed Mr. Roman on paid administrative leave until the completion and outcome of the investigation." The department expressed a strong commitment to maintaining standards of "integrity, accountability, and transparency" in its public services and vowed full cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
Concurrently, a separate report from NBC Miami noted somewhat conflicting information regarding Roman's employment status, indicating that he had been placed on unpaid leave. "The Miramar Fire Rescue Department takes these allegations seriously and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and transparency," affirmed the statement by the department, with the intent to fulfill its role effectively despite the disquieting charges faced by Roman.
