An attorney in the Cochise County Attorneyβs Office has been terminated amid accusations of public sexual indecency.
Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney Paul Correa was alleged to have videotaped a minor he followed around a Sierra Vista Target store on Dec. 17. The child's father located Correa in the parking lot where he says he saw Correa watching a video of his daughter with his pants disheveled, Sierra Vista Police said.
Meanwhile, a Target employee called 911 to report an unrelated incidentΒ and officers were approached by the child's father when they arrived.Β
Police issued a search warrant for Correaβs work and personal phones, which were seized and searched, Sierra Vista police said in the release.
Correa was taken into custody the next day during a high-risk traffic stop in Benson.
Correa was immediately terminated, Cochise County Attorney Lori Zucco said in a statement.
βThe allegations in this case are deeply disturbing, particularly for an officer of the court and public employee entrusted with the publicβs confidence, βZucco said. βAs a career prosecutor for more than 20 years, I have zero tolerance for alleged conduct that so fundamentally violates the standards of this office.
βWhile Mr. Correa is entitled to due process in the criminal justice system, he can no longer serve in any capacity in my office.β
She stressed that Correa's termination is separate from the criminal investigation, which will be handled independently by the La Paz County Attorneyβs Office.
