Ernesto Panduro-Rojas, a Hollywood, Florida ice cream truck driver, was arrested Sunday after he was accused of inappropriately touching a young boy, news sources indicate. Reports withheld the name and age of the child, though charges suggest the victim was between 12 and 16 years of age. Rojas, 50, was booked into the Broward County Main Jail on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor. His bail bond was set at $10,000. It is not yet known whether he has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.
Reports say Rojas owns and runs his own independent ice cream truck business called Mr. Er Ice Cream. It is unclear how long he has been in business, but reports say he was never accused of doing anything wrong while on the job in the past. During a court hearing, a Broward judge ordered that Rojas not be allowed to continue working as an ice cream truck driver as the case progresses. The judge also ordered that he have no contact with the victim, reports say. The restrictions may be lifted after the prosecution reaches a verdict.
The alleged incident occurred on Sunday when Rojas was at Pembroke Park with a boy he had known for almost a year, reports say. However, it is unclear whether Rojas was working during that time. According to reports, the inappropriate touching began when Rojas allegedly put his arms around the victim, kissing him on the neck and feeling him over his clothes. The victim reported feeling uncomfortable and running from the scene. He called police shortly afterwards.
Rojas was not the only Florida man arrested for the alleged exploitation of a minor recently. In Lee County, Florida, detectives announced the arrest of 40 individuals accused of traveling to meet underage boys and girls, reports indicate. The arrests were part of an initiative dubbed "Operation Spiderweb," which operated out of Lee County. Detectives from the County's Sex Crime Unit, the FBI, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement contributed to the seven-day operation, among others.