FDLE arrests former child protective investigator

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested former Department of Children and Families child protective investigator Matthew James Wilcox, 38, for falsifying records. The DCF Office of Inspector General referred the case to FDLE and assisted in the investigation.
Wilcox’s case notes indicated that he started a child endangerment investigation that was assigned to him on January 16, 2015 at the West Palm Hospital (WPH). However, the investigation revealed that he never went to the hospital.
On January 17, 2015, Wilcox’s supervisor visited the WPH and determined that Wilcox only spoke to hospital staff by telephone, and did not physically visit the hospital. However, Wilcox wrote in case notes that he visited the hospital and interviewed the child.
Wilcox turned himself into the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office earlier today and was booked into the Western Detention Center. The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.