A large child predator bust in Jacksonville, Florida resulted in the arrest of Austin Maddox, a former Boston Red Sox pitcher.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Maddox, 33, on April 28 after he interacted with someone purporting to be an underage female online. In truth, Maddox was conversing with undercover officers who apprehended him in a video published on Monday, May 20th.
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A group of officers drag Maddox to the ground after he exits his red pickup truck for detention. The video’s narration states Maddox resisted arrest “until our K-9 got involved.”
Four felony charges, including going to see a child after using a computer to seduce, solicit, or lure a child, and soliciting a child to engage in sexual activity via computer, led to Maddox’s arrest.
“27 guys believed they were communicating online with underage girls.” Instead, they were speaking with our detectives,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook on Monday.
The arrests occurred during Operation Valiant Knights, a five-day sting.
During a Monday police briefing, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated that “the objective of this operation was to identify and arrest suspects who solicit children to engage in sexual acts using electronic devices.”
“Undercover detectives posing as children chatted online with these adults,” Waters said. “These adults solicited sexual activity and agreed to perform sex acts with supposed youngsters at prearranged locations.”The authorities promptly apprehended these adults when they arrived at these locations to meet the youngsters.”
Waters stated that Maddox “traveled with the intent of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child.” The Duval County Courthouse has scheduled Maddox’s next court appointment for Tuesday, May 28, after setting his bond at somewhat more than $300,000.
The Red Sox drafted Maddox in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and he has appeared in 13 major league games since his debut in June 2017.
Maddox received a ring after the Red Sox won the World Series, despite the fact that he did not appear in any games during the 2018 season due to injury. Heritage Auctions placed the ring in November 2021, but it did not sell.
Maddox played collegiate baseball at the University of Florida, where he started as an infielder and catcher before moving to pitcher.
