PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A tow truck driver is accused of performing a sex act in front of a female customer, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and detectives want to know if it’s happened to anyone else.
“That’s the reason why we wanted to get this pushed out to the public to see if there are any other victims and if there was a more serious crime that has gone unreported,” said Major Steve Rose, with the Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives identified the driver as John Junior Williams III. He’s been fired from his job as a tow truck driver.
Investigators told News4JAX this happened Monday afternoon when a woman’s SUV broke down in a gas station parking lot. She contacted her insurance company, which called for a tow truck to take her and her car back to her house.
In the video, which was shared with News4JAX by the Sheriff’s Office, Williams appears to be having a casual conversation with a woman in the cab of his tow truck while towing her white SUV. But Putnam County detectives say he’s exposing himself and performing a sex act.
The passenger appears to have a cellphone in her hands. Detectives say she secretly recorded the act to use as evidence.
Putnam County investigators say Williams was accused of a similar incident last year around this time in Clay County, but he was not convicted.
“Based on the history we know that he has, and other potential victims, we don’t know if it went a bit further in some other cases,” Rose said.
It’s why detectives are asking any women with similar complaints to come forward. Investigators say Williams would have likely been towing cars in Clay, Duval and Putnam counties, but also between Tampa and Georgia.
The owner of the tow truck company has asked that we not identify him or the name of his company. He said he immediately fired Williams upon seeing the video and learning about the woman’s complaints.
“Please get your stuff. You’re done. And he protested by saying, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ And I said, ‘We’re done. You just need to get your stuff and go,’” the owner explained.
Williams was arrested Tuesday in Clay County, where he lives, and charged with indecent exposure, which is only a misdemeanor, but according to investigators, the charge violates his probation after he was convicted in 2017 for home invasion. State prison records also show Williams has been in and out of prison between 1992 and 2017.
The tow truck company said it performed a background check and was aware of him serving time in prison, but gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, the program they were using didn’t give them his full criminal history.
Before riding in a tow truck, Rose advises you first call a friend or relative to pick you up.
“If they don’t have that luxury, call a friend and stay on the phone with that friend during the course of that ride, especially if they feel any uneasiness about that ride,” Rose said.
Rose said while on the phone, tell a friend or relative what road you’re on and landmarks you’ve passed.