A Broward Sheriff’s Office detention deputy was fired after being arrested on sexual battery and false imprisonment charges involving two victims at a house party in Deerfield Beach. Edwin Horace, 25, was arrested Tuesday after a woman reported she was sexually battered by him early Monday morning at the party, according to BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. Horace admitted to the sexual encounter with the victim but claimed it was consensual, while the victim said it was not consensual, authorities said.
“On and off duty, I expect all employees to conduct themselves lawfully and with decency,” Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement Friday. “I find the allegations in this case deeply disturbing and concerning. Therefore, immediate action was taken to terminate the probationary employee.” Horace was initially charged with two counts of sexual battery and one count of false imprisonment following the first victim’s report.
Detectives identified a second female victim who also attended the same house party, leading to additional charges against Horace. He now faces an additional count of false imprisonment, one count of strangulation dating violence and two counts of touch or strike battery in connection with the second victim. The investigation into the accusations against Horace remains ongoing, Coleman-Wright said.
“Horace, who was hired as a deputy in the Department of Detention and Community Programs, has been employed with BSO for less than one year,” Coleman-Wright said in a news release. BSO confirmed he was hired on June 30, 2025, making him a probationary employee at the time of his termination. The deputy worked in the Department of Detention and Community Programs before his arrest and subsequent firing.
As of Friday afternoon, Horace remained held at the Broward County Main Jail on the multiple charges stemming from the alleged incidents at the Deerfield Beach house party. The case represents another instance of law enforcement personnel facing serious criminal charges while employed by South Florida agencies. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine if there are additional victims or incidents involving the former deputy.