A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was arrested in Jacksonville on June 14 and charged with two counts of molesting a child under 12, according to court documents. The trooper, identified in filings as 34-year-old Sebastian Vo, is no longer employed by the agency and faces felony counts that could carry life sentences if he is convicted. Separate family-court filings tied to the arrest also allege domestic violence and threats against his wife and children.
Arrest report details
According to First Coast News, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest paperwork states that a witness reported seeing Vo touch a child, and that the child later told detectives this was not the first incident. The affidavit says Vo was taken into custody on June 14 and booked on two counts of molesting a child younger than 12. It also cites an allegation that Vo told his wife he "could get away with it because he is a trooper," a statement investigators included in the report.
Legal stakes
Under Florida law, lewd or lascivious molestation of a child younger than 12 is a life felony for an adult defendant, as outlined in the state statute on lewd or lascivious offenses, per the Florida Statutes. That classification means prosecutors could seek a sentence of up to life in prison if Vo is convicted of the counts listed in the arrest report. The statute emphasizes the role of victims' statements and physical evidence in prosecutions involving minors.
Agency response and records
The Florida Highway Patrol told First Coast News that Vo is no longer employed with the agency. State records indicate he had been with the department since 2014. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office prepared the arrest documents, and detectives with its Special Assault Unit led the investigation, according to the published report. A petition for an injunction for domestic violence in the public file alleges Vo was violent toward his children and threatened to kill his wife.
What’s next
Vo remains in custody as the case proceeds through the Duval County court system and prosecutors review the arrest materials. According to the arrest report, anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Special Assault Unit.
