A Florida judge on Thursday sentenced former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges connected to an undercover operation targeting people who sought sexual contact with minors.
Maddox, 34, pleaded guilty to traveling to meet a minor to commit unlawful acts and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, authorities said. The sentence includes credit for 501 days that Maddox has already served in custody and will be followed by five years of sex-offender probation and additional court-ordered conditions. As part of the negotiated plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of soliciting a child via computer. A separate charge related to producing or promoting a sexual performance by someone under 18 had been dropped in May 2024.
Maddox was arrested on April 28, 2024, in a multi-agency sting coordinated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that resulted in 27 arrests, according to law enforcement statements. Investigators said Maddox began communicating with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old and expressed an intent to engage in sexual activity after being told the person was 14. In a recorded exchange cited by investigators, Maddox allegedly said, "That's young, baby. I get in trouble for that. You can't even drive. You gonna stay with me all night?"
Video released by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office showed Maddox approaching a prearranged meeting location and being taken into custody. The footage, released by authorities, depicts him resisting arrest before multiple officers and a police K-9 subdued him.
Maddox, who played for the University of Florida in college and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2012, made his major league debut in 2017. He appeared in 13 games for Boston that season before spending time in the minors and undergoing shoulder injury rehabilitation. The Red Sox released him in 2019.
Court records and statements from prosecutors indicated the plea and sentence resolved a case that had resulted from an operation aimed at identifying and arresting adults who sought sexual contact with minors online and in person. Officials have said the multi-agency operation involved undercover investigators who posed as minors in electronic communications and arranged meetings to detain suspects.
Maddox's sentence, which credits time already served, leaves him with the remaining portion of the three-year term to serve in custody followed by supervised probation. Terms of the probation include registration as a sex offender and unspecified additional conditions the court imposed, authorities said. No further details about restitution, counseling requirements, or other conditions were released at sentencing.
Representatives for Maddox did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office provided the initial statements and released the arrest video; prosecutors in the case handled the plea negotiations that led to Thursday’s sentencing.
The case adds to a series of high-profile arrests in recent years tied to online sting operations targeting adults who solicit minors. Law enforcement officials have described such operations as part of broader efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and to remove dangerous individuals from communities.