A former staffer at a West Palm Beach juvenile detention facility is now on the other side of the bars, after police say he traded sexually explicit notes with a 17-year-old girl in custody and touched her inappropriately. According to an arrest affidavit, investigators believe he used his job to groom the teen and build what they describe as a sexual relationship, a case that is again raising uncomfortable questions about who is watching the staff inside secure youth facilities.
The affidavit from the West Palm Beach Police Department identifies the suspect as 42-year-old Demetrio Quinones of Port St. Lucie. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant that was approved on July 7, 2026, and Quinones was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. Investigators say the alleged misconduct took place between July and October 2025, with the probe opening in December 2025. The filing notes Quinones was hired in January 2023, placed on administrative duty in October 2025 during a separate internal investigation, and later resigned by email. Those details were reported by CBS12.
Detectives say the affidavit lays out a pattern: Quinones allegedly worked to gain the teen’s trust, then slipped her typed notes describing sexual acts and repeatedly floated the idea of meeting up after she got out. Investigators say the teen told them she did not send nude photos despite being asked. Multiple coworkers told police Quinones often spent time alone with girls in custody, sometimes taking them into medical areas and bringing items like books, donuts, and cupcakes, behavior they described as out of the ordinary for the facility. As part of the investigation, detectives arranged a recorded phone call in which Quinones allegedly called the teen "babe" and talked about seeing her in the future, according to CBS12.
What the charges mean
Florida law carves out specific felony offenses when adults target older teens. Written solicitation of a 16- or 17-year-old to engage in a lewd act is a third-degree felony, and a separate statute makes indecent, lewd, or lascivious touching of a 16- or 17-year-old by a person 24 or older a third-degree felony as well. The legal framework is spelled out in Fla. Stat. §794.053, Fla. Stat. §794.051, and in Florida sentencing guidelines summarized in Florida's penalty statutes.
Facility oversight and context
When allegations like these surface in juvenile facilities, they typically trigger a two-track response: criminal investigation by local law enforcement and an internal review by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice’s Office of Inspector General. The OIG publishes annual reports that detail investigations into staff conduct, the agency’s review process, and any discipline imposed, highlighting when complaints move from administrative matters into criminal referrals. Those reports offer a broader look at how oversight is supposed to function and document past sustained findings against DJJ staff. Florida DJJ OIG Annual Report
Quinones remains in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail. Court records will reflect any formal charges and future hearing dates, and this story will be updated once those documents and schedules become public.
