A Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested Tuesday following a months-long investigation into allegations of on-duty sexual misconduct, authorities said.

Deputy Israel Morales, 30, of Hughson was taken into custody on May 27 and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on a $1.3 million bail. He faces multiple felony charges, including forced oral copulation, aggravated kidnapping and solicitation of prostitution.

The investigation began in March after an arrestee reported to a Hughson Police Services deputy that another deputy had engaged in sexual acts with women while on duty in the Hughson area. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit launched an inquiry to verify the claims, locate potential victims and gather evidence.

Morales, employed by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office since June 2018, was placed on modified duty and stripped of his peace officer powers on May 6. The case has been referred to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Sheriff’s officials described the allegations as a serious breach of public trust, stating that the department remains committed to transparency and ethical conduct.

Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact Detective Jorge Perez at (209) 567-4466 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-866-60-CRIME.