Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox was arrested in Florida as part of an underage sex sting, authorities announced Monday.
Maddox, 33, of Jacksonville, Florida, was one of 27 people arrested as part of a multi-agency operation late last month, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said.
They are accused of soliciting sex over the internet from people who they believed were children, officials said.
Shocking footage showed the moment the former baseball player was ambushed by cops, who were waiting to arrest him. They pile on top of his body, before taking him into custody. He is being held in jail on a $300,000 bond.
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox was arrested in Florida as part of an underage sex sting, authorities announced Monday
![He is seen on video getting tackled by at least six officers and a police dog](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85124105-13440077-He_is_seen_on_video_getting_tackled_by_at_least_six_officers_and-m-52_1716238641617.jpg)
He is seen on video getting tackled by at least six officers and a police dog
He is charged with four felony counts, including traveling to meet after using a computer to solicit a child.
![Maddox, 33, of Jacksonville, Florida, was one of 27 people arrested as part of a multi-agency operation late last month, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85124077-13440077-Maddox_33_of_Jacksonville_Florida_was_one_of_27_people_arrested_-a-53_1716238656806.jpg)
Maddox, 33, of Jacksonville, Florida, was one of 27 people arrested as part of a multi-agency operation late last month, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said
Jax Sheriff’s Office released a video revealing their child predator operation. In the video, Maddox is seen resisting arrest until the police K9 got involved.
He is seen on video getting tackled by at least six officers and a police dog as he walked into his home – where the cops were hiding.
Maddox ‘expressed a desire to commit lewd acts,’ Investigators said. When he found out the girl was 14-year-old, he allegedly said, ‘That’s young, baby. I get in trouble for that. You can’t even drive. You gonna stay with me all night?’
Maddox began communicating with an undercover agent pretending to be an underage girl on April 28, an arrest report said.
He expressed his intent to have sex with the girl even after she told him that she was 14, officials said.
![Jax Sheriff's Office released a video revealing their child predator operation. In the video, Maddox is seen resisting arrest until the police k9 got involved](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85124091-13440077-Jax_Sheriff_s_Office_released_a_video_revealing_their_child_pred-m-51_1716238620762.jpg)
Jax Sheriff’s Office released a video revealing their child predator operation. In the video, Maddox is seen resisting arrest until the police k9 got involved
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85124003-13440077-image-a-4_1716237223036.jpg)
Maddox agreed to meet the girl at a pre-arranged location, where he was arrested by law enforcement officers, authorities said.
James Hill, a defense attorney for Maddox, said he intends to fight the allegations against him and will enter a plea of not guilty should formal charges be filed.
Maddox played college ball for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2012. He made his major league debut with the team in 2017 after several years in the minors.
Maddox, who is unmarried, played in 13 games for the Red Sox during the 2017 season.
He spent about three months on the Red Sox roster before heading back to the minors to recover from shoulder injuries. He was released from the team in 2019.
![Maddox played college ball for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2012. He made his major league debut with the team in 2017 after several years in the minors](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85123157-13440077-image-a-47_1716236047035.jpg)
Maddox played college ball for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2012. He made his major league debut with the team in 2017 after several years in the minors
![Maddox, who is unmarried, played in 13 games for the Red Sox during the 2017 season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85123991-13440077-image-a-5_1716237228589.jpg)
Maddox, who is unmarried, played in 13 games for the Red Sox during the 2017 season
Along with Maddox, Kevin Pearce, a Duval County Public Schools maintenance worker and Mayo Clinic respiratory therapist Chad Sadlowski, were also arrested in the operation, Waters said.
Malcolm McGee, who works for the Army National Guard as a sergeant was also arrested.
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