King County Sheriff's Deputy Ricardo Cueva has been charged with third-degree rape and first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. The charges involve a 17-year-old girl who was part of the King County Sheriff’s Explorer Program at the Burien Police Department, where Cueva was the program lead, according to FOX 13 Seattle. The woman, now 24 years old, reported the allegations, leading to the charges.
The incidents reportedly happened in 2017 and 2018, when the girl was part of the Police Explorer program and Cueva was her group leader. The Police Explorer program is a national initiative that introduces teens and young adults to law enforcement through ride-alongs, classes, and training scenarios. The woman came forward after speaking with another deputy who had also participated in the program. That deputy contacted her about a separate matter, and she asked if Cueva was still involved with the program "in hopes of protecting others from Deputy Cueva," as reported by Seattle Times.
Cueva is being held on a $150,000 bond and “The State is concerned about the likelihood of the defendant committing additional sexual offenses” because he has access to over 25 registered firearms, as mentioned by KOMO News. If he posts bond, the court has approved electronic home detention with GPS monitoring and ordered him to surrender all firearms. In 2014, Cueva was investigated after a 10-year-old family friend accused him of inappropriate touching and kissing. The King County Sheriff's Office closed that case after finding no supporting evidence.
