Juvie jail sex scandal

Carlos Alberto Ordonez, 23, of Daly City, was arrested Feb. 24 after a South San Francisco police officer stumbled upon him and a 15-year-old girl having sex in a car parked at Oyster Point, said Sgt. Joni Lee.

Ordonez went to the police station voluntarily and was eventually arrested on one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Lee said.

Ordonez posted $50,000 bail and will be arraigned in early April, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

His booking photo is not being released because the investigation is ongoing, said Sheriff’s Lt. Lisa Williams.

The office is still reviewing the case and has yet to file charges, Wagstaffe said. He declined to discuss the specifics of the case until then.

Ordonez began work as an extra-help Group Supervisor I, filling in open shifts, on Aug. 13, 2006, said Tim Sullivan, assistant human resources director for the county.

The entry-level positions involve supervising juveniles, counseling groups and individuals and maintain discipline, according to the job description.

Ordonez and the girl met while she was enrolled at the girl’s camp of the YSA but she is not thought to have been a resident at the time of the incident, Lee said.

He is still shown to be an active employee, according to payroll records, but Probation Department Administrative Services Manager Christy Morrill said Ordonez was terminated last week. Extra-help employees are at-will, meaning they can be fired without cause.

Prior to Ordonez’s hiring, he was given a thorough background check and psychological testing, said Deputy County Counsel Leigh Herman who represents the Probation Department.

"There were no questions about him whatsoever. He was a perfect employee until this happened,” Herman said.

The position requires an applicant to be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and not be convicted of a felony.

A supervisor must also "exercise sound judgment” and "secure and maintain the respect, rapport and confidence of juveniles,” according to the job description.

The girl is currently at home with her parents and there is a continuing county investigation, Herman said.

"On behalf of probation let me say they are working to support the young woman who was victimized and her parents and working with authorities,” Herman said.

The 30-bed Margaret Kemp Girls Camp is part of the new $150 million Youth Services Center on Paul Scannell Drive. The campus opened to much fanfare in September as a replacement of the 58-year-old Hillcrest Juvenile Facility.

At its opening day celebration, advocates heralded the center as a place to encourage freedom and responsibility in its wards rather than just being an incarceration facility.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.