A former officer with the Los Angeles Police Department has been charged with eight counts of lewd acts with a child after allegedly sexually assaulting four boys, and authorities are seeking additional possible victims.
Paul Razo, 46, was arrested on May 10 and he remains in custody.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleges he sexually assaulted four boys between 2007 and 2016 in his Covina home.
Two of the victims were described as being his young male relatives, officials said.
“Based on the nature of the allegations and Mr. Razo’s access to children, detectives believe there may be additional unidentified victims,” officials said in a news release.
Authorities released a 2018 image of Razo and described him as having black hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 245 pounds.
Razo had worked with the LAPD for about 24 years and was assigned to the Hollywood area as a training coordinator, officials said. He “separated” from the department in March, police said in a news release without elaborating.
The LAPD said an internal affairs investigation is being conducted simultaneously with the criminal one, and officials will be reviewing Razo’s past work history for “similar behavior.”
“Chief Michel Moore is deeply disturbed by these allegations as they are in direct opposition to the Department’s Core Values and expectations of a Los Angeles Police Officer,” police said.
“The allegations of sexual abuse against vulnerable children in this case are deeply disturbing and it’s particularly troubling that the defendant was a law enforcement officer at the time,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “Childhood sexual abuse causes immeasurable harm and our hearts go out to the victims who were victimized by someone they trusted. We will do everything in our power to ensure that they have access to the support and resources they need to heal. Sexual abuse of any kind is a heinous crime and we will not tolerate it in our community.”
Anyone with information about Razo, or who believes they may have been victimized by him, is asked to contact LASD’s special victims bureau’s toll-free tip line at 877-710-5273 or by email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.