WATCH: Ex-Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox gets arrested by K9 squad for child sex bust
Former Red Sox reliever Austin Maddox was arrested on Apr. 28 by the K9 squad following a sting operation. It was carried out by Jacksonville Police, with support from local, state, and federal partners with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The undercover operation named 'Valiant Knights' was conducted in which an undercover agent posed as a 14-year-old girl and communicated with Maddox. According to the police arrest report, Maddox allegedly knew the girl was 14 and still went ahead and messaged her. He wrote:
"That's being young, baby. I get in trouble for that. You don't even know how to drive. Are you going to stay with me all night?" [via Alertas Mundial].
A trap was set in the house by Jacksonville police when Maddox arrived to meet the 14-year-old girl. As soon as he opened the door, he was ambushed to the ground by the K9 squad who handcuffed and took him to custody.
Austin Maddox slapped with four felony charges for alleged child solicitation: Reports
According to a report from NBC Boston's Ashley Klein, Austin Maddox was one of the 27 men involved in the alleged child solicitation crime. The 33-year-old has been slapped with four felony charges.
"Austin Dean Maddox was arrested April 28 on four felony charges, according to inmate records: traveling to meet after using a computer to seduce/solicit/lure a child; soliciting a child by computer; unlawful use of a communication device; and producing or promoting a performance that includes sexual performance by a child." [via NBC Boston's Ashley Klein].
In the latest update from Fox News, Austin Maddox's defense attorney has asked the former Red Sox hurler to enter a 'not guilty' plea and fight against the charges and allegations leveled against him.
As for his MLB career, he made his MLB debut in 2017 but only appeared in 13 games, all for the Boston Red Sox, who selected him in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He only pitched 17.1 innings for an ERA of 0.52.
He was last reported to have played in the minors in 2018.