Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to charges related to attempting to meet a minor for sexual activity.
Maddox, 34, was a highly regarded catcher and relief pitcher who played on three College World Series teams, including the University of Florida, before making his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 2017.
Maddox was arrested by a SWAT team on April 28, 2024, during a sting operation targeting individuals seeking sexual contact with minors.
According to authorities, Maddox showed up at a prearranged meeting with someone he believed to be a minor.
Video from the arrest, released by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, shows six officers tackling Maddox as he awaited the meeting.
Plea and sentencing
On September 11, Maddox pleaded guilty to two charges: traveling to meet a minor for unlawful acts and the unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Under a negotiated plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a third charge of soliciting a child via computer, while an earlier charge related to producing or promoting sexual performance by a minor had already been dismissed in May 2024.
Judge Lindsay Tygart sentenced Maddox to three years in prison, granting credit for 501 days he had already served in custody.
In addition, he will serve five years of sex offender probation and is subject to multiple other legal conditions.
Maddox faced a potential maximum sentence of five years.
Maddox‘s arrest was a part of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Operation Valiant Knights, a five-day effort to identify and apprehend adults attempting to exploit minors.
He was one of 27 men arrested.
The operation involved coordinated undercover work, culminating in several high-profile arrests that authorities said send a clear message about the consequences of targeting children.
From college star to convicted child sex offender
Maddox‘s fall from grace has been stark. A celebrated athlete at the University of Florida, he helped lead the Gators to multiple College World Series appearances, earning recognition for his talent both as a catcher and relief pitcher.
Maddox was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He appeared in just 13 games for the team in 2017, posting an impressive 0.52 earned run average.
His sports career, however, now stands overshadowed by criminal convictions and a prison sentence.
The case has drawn attention not only because of Maddox‘s former professional athlete status but also due to the nature of the sting operation and the detailed documentation of his arrest.
Authorities emphasized that stings like Operation Valiant Knights are critical in preventing sexual exploitation and holding offenders accountable.
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