Former MLB Player Austin Maddox Tackled To Ground & Arrested During Child Predator Sting

Austin Maddox, a former MLB pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, was arrested in Florida as part of a child predator sting.

The 33-year-old has allegedly been talking with an undercover agent pretending to be an underage girl as part of Jacksonville's anti-child predator sting called “Operation Valiant Knights."

According to Jacksonville police, Austin Maddox was placed behind bars after being accused of soliciting sex over the internet from someone who he believed was a child. He was one of 27 people arrested.

“These adults solicited sexual activity and committed to engaging in sex acts with purported minors at pre-arranged locations,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said at a news conference Monday, per WFLA.

Waters added, "Austin Maddox, a former Red Sox MLB player, traveled with the intent of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child."

The 33-year-old former Red Sox pitcher began talking with a girl who he believed was 14 years old. She was an undercover agent pretending to be an underage girl, per the arrest report obtained by CBS.

Maddox allegedly agreed to meet the underage girl at a pre-arranged location, which is when he was arrested by police.

The sheriff's office released video footage following the arrest, which showed an officer tackling Maddox to the ground as he "resisted arrest" until the K-9 unit got involved.

Maddox has been charged with four felony counts, including traveling to meet after using a computer to seduce/solicit/lure a child, solicitation of a child via computer to engage in sexual conduct, unlawful use of two-way communication device, and produce/promote performance which includes sexual performance by a child.

He is being held in jail on a $300,000 bond.

Austin Maddox was part of the Boston Red Sox roster from 2017 to 2019, but only appeared in 13 games in 2017, throwing 17 innings.

Before making it to the big leagues, he played for the University of Florida. He officially retired from professional baseball in 2020.

Maddox is not the only MLB player to find himself in legal trouble as Mike Clevinger, who is currently signed with the Chicago White Sox, was investigated in 2023 over allegations of domestic violence and child abuse.

According to The Blast's previous report, in the summer of 2022, Olivia Finestead, who is the mother of Clevinger's daughter, contacted the MLB's Department of Investigations, alleging physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, which she also described in her personal Instagram stories.

At the time, MLB reported that "Clevinger choked [Finestead]." Two weeks later, she alleges that the Chicago White Sox player "slapped her in a hotel room when the team was playing the Dodgers and threw used chewing tobacco on their child."

Following the allegations, the Chicago White Sox released the following statement:

“Major League Baseball and the Chicago White Sox take any and all allegations very seriously, and the White Sox are completely supportive of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy shared by MLB and the MLBPA. MLB opened an investigation after learning of these allegations. The White Sox were not aware of the allegations or the investigation at the time of his signing. The White Sox will refrain from comment until MLB’s investigative process has reached its conclusion.”

Clevinger's lawyer released a statement at the time as well, claiming the MLB pitcher "emphatically denies" the allegations. "He has never harmed Ms. Finestead or his daughter. We will not comment on Ms. Finestead's motive for bringing these false allegations," they said. "The simple truth is that Mike has done nothing wrong."

A few months after the MLB launched an investigation, it was reported that the White Sox pitcher would not face discipline from the league following the domestic abuse allegations.