In-Depth: Parents of alleged victim work to hold suspect accountable | In-Depth

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KVOA) – The parents of a 12-year-old girl are speaking out for the first time after they say a man sworn to uphold the law secretly recorded their daughter inside a Sierra Vista Target.

Former Cochise County Chief Civil Deputy Attorney Paul Correa is facing several charges including public sexual indecency to a minor, harassment by surveillance and tampering with evidence. He’s out of jail, released on his own recognizance, and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

All of this unfolded at the Target in the middle of December. The family was making last-minute buys for Christmas when the 12-year-old girl in the cosmetics aisle ran to her mom.

“That’s when she told me that someone had been following her through the store and recording her,” Stacy said.

Stacy says the incident has changed the family. News 4 Tucson is not using her last name to help protect the identity of the alleged victim.

“It’s really disappointing because that’s somebody who looks out for our community,” Stacy said.

Sierra Vista police questioned Correa the night the girl’s dad says he heard what happened. Jason says he saw Correa with his pants unbuttoned, looking at video he took of his daughter in the store.

“It was shock,” Jason said.

Correa denied the allegations when first questioned by police. Jason says it took a lot to not get physical.

“To get there and see what I saw in that car as a father was really tough, it was very tough,” Jason said.

Sierra Vista police say Correa’s phone showed surreptitious recordings of young girls, who appear to be under 15, shopping and walking through the Target store, also captured by the store’s surveillance cameras. Police say he left the store and sat in his car for almost 30 minutes.

Correa was arrested and fired the next day. Stacy says the evidence was clear.

“They say video evidence is stronger than anything and it didn’t take long for his boss to watch that and know immediately that what happened was wrongdoing and take action,” Stacy said.

With the case moving forward and Correa back out of jail, Stacey says concern is growing. She says the combination of Correa’s arrest not coming until the next day and his bond lowered from $25,000 to zero is enough to raise more than a few eyebrows.

“This isn’t just a regular citizen. This is somebody who knows the laws and knows the difference between right and wrong, and I want to make sure there’s accountability for that,” Stacey said.

“If for some reason this gets minimized he will be in someone else’s community,” Stacey said.

She and her husband say they’re relying on the justice system while making sure their children and the family heals. Jason says they want to see justice served.

“It feels like we’ve shown up and we just wanna make sure the legal system shows up for us,” Jason said.

“As a parent it’s our responsibility to put everything in our kids,” Jason said.

Correa’s court-appointed attorney told News 4 Tucson an interview is inappropriate given the nature of this case. The next hearing is set for next month.

The family says they’re watching the case closely and will keep showing up to every hearing they can. They’re also pushing state lawmakers to look at laws protecting children when it comes to technology.