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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ex-Romeo Elementary employee jailed for lewd and lascivious conduct on student

Juvenal Gomez

A former employee was jailed Thursday for lewd and lascivious conduct on a Romeo Elementary School student.

Juvenal Gomez, 58, was taken into custody at his residence in the 16600 block of S.W. 40th Street in Ocala. He was being held on $25,000 bond and is due in Marion County Court on Feb. 6 to answer to the charge, jail records show.

This past Nov. 20, the school resource officer at the facility received information alleging that a student was inappropriately touched by Gomez, who served as a para-professional. The victim claimed that Gomez, while sitting beside her at a table, put his hand up her skirt, a sheriff’s office report states.

Gomez also allegedly provided the student a blue “peso” (given to students for good behavior) that contained his personal phone number on it and the word “kitten.” Due to the allegations, Marion County Public Schools officials terminated Gomez that day while sheriff’s detectives investigated the case. He was then arrested based on statements from the victim and witnesses, the report says.