JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday announced the arrest of a police officer, who is facing criminal sex charges in a case out of Michigan.
According to Undersheriff Pat Ivey, Officer David Gedert has been fired from the Sheriff’s Office. He was with the department for 21 months. Records show he’s 31 years old.
Ivey said Gedert, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a child under age 13 on a warrant out of Kalamazoo County. He said it stemmed from an incident six years ago.
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson, who used to be an officer at JSO, said officers are required to complete extensive background checks. It said it’s possible that investigators might not have known about the allegation because it was recently reported.
“The last 10 years of your life is what they look at,” Jefferson said. “Is there a possibility that something can slip up, yes. But more than likely nothing like this because this is major.”
Gedert made the news in October after the Fraternal Order of Police reported that he helped rescue a woman from a car that had driven into a retention pond.
Gedert is the fifth member of the Sheriff’s Office to be arrested in 2020. Ivey said four officers and one civilian have been arrested.
The ex-JSO officer was expected to have a court hearing Wednesday, Ivey said. He’ll eventually be extradited to Michigan. Records showed he was held Tuesday night without bond in the Duval County jail.