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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officer was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sending and soliciting nude photos from a 17-year-old girl he met at church.
Josue Garriga III, 34, was charged with unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, lewd touching of certain minors, traveling to met 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, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
The 17-year-old girl's mother contacted the Clay County Sheriff's Office on March 8, just two days after the girl's last in-person meeting with Garriga. The mother said she found "concerning and inappropriate" messages between her daughter and Garriga, in addition to "flirtatious behavior" she observed at church between her daughter and a man with the same phone number, deputies said.
This triggered a Clay County Sheriff's Office investigation, which revealed 350 contacts or contact attempts with Garriga between October 2, 2023, and March 6 of this year.
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"They also confirmed that Garriga was the owner of the phone number discovered by the mother and they were able to verify the incident at the church through a witness," deputies said in a press release.
When deputies met with the 17-year-old, she said she exchanged phone numbers with Garriga after meeting him at church.
"Garriga suggested to her that she download the WhatsApp application on her phone for their communications," deputies said. "He then used the application to send her nude photos of himself and solicited her for photos."
On the day of their last in-person meeting, the girl told deputies that there was an "inappropriate physical interaction" with him in his vehicle.
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During the investigation, the Clay County Sheriff's Office learned that Garriga was employed as a police officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters shared the following statement with FOX 35:
"Former Officer Josue Garriga was arrested by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Any questions about the facts and circumstances of this investigation should be directed to CCSO. While Garriga is no longer a JSO employee, this agency fundamentally believes in accountability."
Garriga was booked into the Clay County Jail after speaking with deputies. His bond was set at $375,000.
The investigation remains open and ongoing, and deputies urge anyone with information on these incidents or other inappropriate interactions between Garriga and minors to contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512.