Gerrard Kaonga
Shocking footage shows the moment Austin Maddox was tackled to the floor by multiple officers after arriving at a home allegedly attempting to meet an underage girl.
Austin Maddox was arrested in Florida on April 28 in what police have called a multi-agency ‘child predator operation’.
Police were able to arrest a total of 27 people as part of the sting. The individuals involved had believed they had been speaking to children online when in reality, they were actually speaking to officers.
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Maddox, who had a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox in 2017, began speaking to an agent pretending to be a 14-year-old girl.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters explained that Maddox had been arrested during a press conference, where he praised the officers involved in the successful operation.
“Austin Maddox, a former Red Sox MLB player, traveled with the intent of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child,” he said.
Speaking about all of those arrested, he said: “The objective of the 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. These adults solicited sexual activity and committed to engaging in sex acts with reported minors at prearranged locations.
“Once these adults arrived at these locations to meet these minors they were immediately arrested. 24 child predators, who travelled to meet minors, were arrested during this operation and 3 additional predators were arrested after follow-up investigations were conducted.”
Video footage of the moment Maddox of the arrest has also been shared by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
In the clip, Maddox is seen parking a red truck in a driveway before getting out of a car and heading to the front door.
A camera inside the home shows multiple police officers, including a K9 unit, holding in wait for the former MLB player.
When the front door is opened by Maddox the officers sprint at him and tackle him to the ground. He is then apprehended by the officers and put in handcuffs.
When Maddox was speaking to the agents online, he had expressed interest to have sex with the child, even after they had told him they were 14-years-old.
He is currently facing four felony charges, including traveling to meet after using a computer to solicit a child. He is being held in jail on a $300,000 bond.
UNILAD has contacted the Boston Red Sox for comment.