JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Josue Garriga III, a former officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, was in federal court Wednesday and was ordered to remain on house arrest before being released on a $10,000 bond.
Last month, Garriga, 34, resigned from his position with JSO after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on several charges, including unlawful sexual activity with a minor, stemming from a sex crime investigation involving a 17-year-old girl he met at church.
He has also been charged with the federal crime of using a cell phone/internet to coerce a minor. The federal charges are expected to take precedence over the charges in Clay County.
Under the terms of his release, Garriga must stay at his grandmother’s home in Mandarin. He also can’t have access to the internet, cell phone or any smart devices. He was also ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and not have any contact with any minors except his son, which requires adult supervision.
His next court appearance is set for May 7.
The federal criminal complaint appears largely based on the CCSO investigation, but some new details were included. These details include the WhatsApp messages investigators say Garriga sent to the girl. Plus, his interview with investigators following the accusations.
The reports show those messages included, “I miss your face,” “You looked amazing on Sunday btw,” and “You ok with sending me pics again?”
Garriga’s expected appearance in federal court Wednesday comes just a day after Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced the arrest of another officer.
RELATED: Sheriff Waters admonishes officer accused in hit-and-run crash while driving marked police cruiser | JSO corrections officer accused of misdemeanor battery after chasing, hitting inmate after witnessing sex act | JSO officer arrested, accused of accessing database, giving info to ‘criminals’ | JSO officer resigns after being accused in Clay County sex crime investigation involving 17-year-old
Waters said now-former Officer John Burr was driving on Argyle Forest Boulevard around noon when he rear-ended a stopped vehicle. According to the crash report, the victim said she saw Burr with his head down before the collision.
Instead of stopping after the crash, Waters said, the former officer left the scene. The report also said the victim attempted to follow the police car and began honking her horn to get the officer’s attention. However, the victim reported the officer began weaving in and out of traffic dangerously.
She was able to get the police vehicle’s tag and stopped to contact JSO.
In a news conference Tuesday (Watch the replay above), Waters said Burr’s arrest is an embarrassment to the department.
“It’s simple, stop. That’s what we do all the time,” Waters said. “Our job is to investigate incidents like this, traffic crashes. Just stop, we’ll come work it, take pictures, you’ll probably get disciplined if it’s your fault, but termination and arrest would not be part of the situation. It’s something minor, probably got afraid, got scared, and made a bad decision.”
Seven JSO employees have been arrested by JSO and other area agencies in 2024.
