Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox has been arrested in a significant child predator sting operation in Jacksonville, Florida. The 33-year-old was taken into custody on April 28 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after engaging in an online conversation with someone he believed to be an underage girl. In reality, he was communicating with undercover detectives who arrested him in a video released on Monday, May 20. The footage shows Maddox being taken to the ground by officers after he exited his red pickup truck and being handcuffed. A voiceover in the video claims Maddox resisted arrest “until our K-9 got involved.”
Maddox faces four felony charges, including traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to seduce, solicit, or lure a child, and solicitation of a child via computer to engage in sexual conduct. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post on Monday, “27 men thought they were chatting online with underage girls. Instead, they were talking to our detectives.”
These arrests were made during a five-day operation named Operation Valiant Knights. During a police briefing on Monday, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated, “The objective of this operation was to identify and arrest suspects who solicit children to engage in sexual acts using electronic devices.” He added that undercover detectives posed as children online, and the adults solicited sexual activity, agreeing to meet purported minors at predetermined locations. Upon arrival, these individuals were immediately arrested. Waters disclosed that Maddox “traveled with the intent of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child.” Maddox’s bond was set at just over $300,000, and his next court date is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, at the Duval County Courthouse.
Drafted in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Red Sox, Maddox pitched in a total of 13 major league games, debuting in June 2017. Although he did not play during the 2018 season due to injury, he received a ring when the Red Sox won the World Series. The ring was listed with Heritage Auctions in November 2021 but went unsold. Maddox played college baseball at the University of Florida, starting as an infielder and catcher before transitioning to pitcher.
