A Cleveland police officer who pleaded guilty last month to sex crimes involving a 13-year-old boy has been sentenced to spend the next two years in prison.
Maria Velez, 24, pleaded guilty to sexual battery, attempted tampering with evidence and intimidation of a crime victim or witness.
She was arrested last October after allegations arose she had engaged in sexual conduct with a student while working as an instructional aide at Clark Elementary School in 2015.
Velez was not a police officer at the time the incidents occurred. She has been working for the Cleveland Police Department since Dec. 14, 2015 — most recently assigned to the Fifth District on basic patrol.
The incidents, which occurred on multiple occasions, took place between March and December of 2015, according to court records.
