A mother says she has not been able to speak with her 18-year-old daughter since the daughter was allegedly sexually battered at Pompano Youth Academy, a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Pompano Beach. The mother, who asked to be identified only as Amanda, told NBC6 on Tuesday that she is still waiting for answers.
Officials said they received a report on Sunday of a possible sexual battery at the facility, which is located at 3090 North Powerline Road. Online records describe it as a “moderate-risk” residential program for girls ages 13 to 18.
Jess Delgardo, 32, a former employee, was arrested and accused of sexually battering the teen. According to the arrest report, the victim told deputies that she and Delgardo, who worked as a guardian at the facility, exchanged flirtatious notes before he entered her room one night, exposed himself and had sex with her. Officials said that because she was an inmate, she could not consent. Delgardo was booked into jail and later appeared before a judge, who set his bond at $30,000.
The Department of Juvenile Justice said Delgardo was not a state employee. He worked for a contracted provider that operates the facility, and that provider has fired him. The facility said in a statement Monday that it was cooperating with law enforcement.
Amanda said her calls and emails to the facility director, Pamela Rollins, have gone unanswered, and she believes she has not been allowed to speak with her daughter. The facility has not responded to NBC6’s requests for comment on that point. Amanda said she wants her daughter moved out of the program.
