Public Safety
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Issues Statement on Child Abuse Case
On January 12, 2009, deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station began an investigation into the allegation that one of their own tenured investigators, Kevin Duffy, had molested a minor child. The investigation was subsequently assigned to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Central Homicide Unit investigators. On January 15, 2009, Mr. Duffy was placed on Administrative Leave.
The investigators worked to identify and contact possible victims and schedule specialized forensic interviews with potentially affected juveniles. The investigators also served search warrants and began evaluating the evidence. As the case steadily progressed, the investigators began to substantiate Mr. Duffy’s involvement in multiple crimes.
On January 25, 2009, while the investigation against Mr. Duffy continued, he took his own life at a motel in the City of Hemet. At that time, the Sheriff’s Department provided a statement to the press identifying Mr. Duffy as a Department investigator, who was on administrative leave amid a criminal investigation. The press release prompted media stories about Mr. Duffy’s death and the associated criminal investigation. The Department also distributed an internal memorandum informing Department members of Mr. Duffy’s passing.
To uncover the full extent of Mr. Duffy’s crimes, the investigators interviewed over ninety people; including seventy-five minors who might have had contact with Mr. Duffy. They authored approximately 150 reports, and served more than twenty search warrants. No less than ten Department investigators and two sergeants worked the case. The investigation substantiated crimes against one child in 2007 and 2009. Due to Mr. Duffy’s sudden death, the criminal investigation was not sent to the District Attorney’s office, as there was no living person to prosecute.
The investigation revealed Mr. Duffy’s contact with the minor child occurred during his service with the Sheriff’s Athletic League (SAL), a Hemet Sheriff’s Station youth outreach program. The investigators worked to identify and interview program participants, until the case was concluded in September 2009. When this investigation was initiated the SAL program was ended.
The Sheriff’s Department is unable to locate any record of a civil claim or settlement relating to this case. While the investigative file is closed, it remains confidential. The Sheriff’s Department believes the investigation was properly closed in 2009. However, anyone wishing to share additional information about this investigation, including Mr. Bolanos, should contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at (951) 955-2777. Additionally, services for those suffering from the impacts of child and or adult abuse can be obtained through the Department of Social Services by calling the Child Abuse Hotline (800) 442-4918 and or the Adult Services Hotline (800) 491-7123.
By: NBC Palm Springs
March 29, 2018
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