Former Red Sox Pitcher Austin Maddox Sentenced to Prison for Soliciting a Minor
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to soliciting a minor online. The 34-year-old was also sentenced to five years of sex offender probation following his release.
Details of the Arrest and Charges
Maddox pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of meeting a minor to do unlawful acts and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. These charges stemmed from an underage sex sting operation conducted in Jacksonville, Florida. A charge of soliciting a child via computer was dismissed as part of a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
Judge Lindsay Tygart handed down the sentence, crediting Maddox for the 501 days he had already served in jail. He was arrested on April 28, 2024, as part of a multi-agency operation that targeted individuals soliciting sex over the internet from people they believed to be children. He was arrested by a Jacksonville SWAT team after going to a pre-arranged location to meet the alleged minor.
Maddox's Baseball Career and Prior Offenses
Austin Maddox played college baseball at the University of Florida and was drafted by the Red Sox in 2012. He played one season in the majors, appearing in 13 games for the Red Sox in 2017. Before his arrest for soliciting a minor, Maddox was on probation as a drug offender, stemming from a November 2022 arrest in Baker County.
