Former JSO Officer Josue’ Garriga III Arrested in Connection to Sex Crime Investigation

Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. Former JSO officer sex crime investigation
2. JSO officer accused sex crime 17-year-old

A 34-year-old former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer was arrested in connection with a sex crime investigation involving a teenage girl in Jacksonville, Fla. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned mother who found inappropriate communications between her daughter and the man, identified as Josue’ Garriga III. The investigation revealed 350 contacts or contact attempts between the two from October 2023 to March 2024. Garriga faces charges including unlawful sexual activity with minors and lewd touching. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities believe there could be more victims. Garriga, who resigned from his position, was previously involved in a controversial deadly shooting in 2019.

The Incident in Jacksonville, Florida

In a shocking turn of events, a 34-year-old former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer, Josue’ Garriga III, was arrested in connection to a sex crime investigation involving a teenage girl. The incident took place in Jacksonville, Florida, where deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a call on March 3 from a concerned mother.

Discovery of Inappropriate Communications

The concerned mother discovered inappropriate communications between her 17-year-old daughter and Garriga on her daughter’s cellphone. She noticed flirtatious behavior between her daughter and Garriga at their local church, which raised red flags for her.

Extensive Communication between Teen and Officer

During the investigation, it was revealed that there were 350 contacts or contact attempts through phone or FaceTime video calls between the teen and Garriga from October 2, 2023, to March 6, 2024. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Garriga was the individual the teen was communicating with and verified the incident at the church through a witness.

Details of the Interaction

Investigators spoke to the teenage girl, who disclosed that she met Garriga at church and exchanged phone numbers with him. She mentioned that Garriga instructed her to download WhatsApp for communication purposes. Subsequently, Garriga used the app to send explicit images of himself to the teen and requested similar photos from her.

Arrest and Charges

Garriga was arrested and charged with unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, lewd touching of certain minors, traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity, unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and transmission of harmful material to a minor. The investigation with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing, and authorities suspect there may be other victims.

Previous Controversies

Garriga, who was hired by JSO in July 2018 and assigned to the investigations division, has resigned from his position following his arrest. This is not the first time he has been under scrutiny. In 2019, Garriga was involved in a fatal shooting of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson during a traffic stop. Although the State Attorney’s Office deemed the shooting justifiable, Johnson’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, which was settled for $200,000.

Seeking Additional Information

Individuals with any information related to this incident or any other inappropriate interactions between Garriga and a minor are urged to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512. The investigation continues as authorities work to ensure justice is served in this disturbing case.