State employee suspected of molesting, raping children

YAKIMA – A state Department of Social and Health Service worker whose job involved investigating child abuse and neglect has been arrested on suspicion of molesting or raping multiple children.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reported 50-year-old Rodolfo De Leon went to Yakima police Thursday and reported having sexually abused five children.

Investigators said De Leon knew the alleged victims, but they were not children that he came into contact as part of his job.

Court documents said the alleged incidents took place as early as 2010 and as recently as April.

Police said the victims were believed to be under the age of 12 when the alleged abuse first occurred.

De Leon has been employed with the agency’s Toppenish office as a social service specialist for 18 years.

It wasn’t immediately known if De Leon has a lawyer. He remains in Yakima County Jail on $250,000 bail.