JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man looking for help after he said he was attacked by four other men in Jacksonville Beach found himself in the back of a police car. That’s after he told a store clerk and police he had been trying to meet up with a minor for sex, according to an incident report.
On June 17, 43-year-old Jadesadapatch Keawsend told Jacksonville Beach Police that he planned to meet up with the child at Gonzales Park for sex after first communicating on the Grindr App.
When he arrived at Gonzales Park, the police report states that he was approached by four men, who then allegedly attacked him.
The report states that one of them struck him in the back of the head and neck with a fist and forearm three times. The report says that Keawsend then ran towards the Circle K on Beach Boulevard and told the store clerk there he had been assaulted. He also told the clerk he was attempting to meet up with a juvenile when the assault happened, according to the report.
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Grace Tyler lives in Jacksonville. She does not agree with members of the public who are not police taking legal matters into their own hands.
“I understand their motives behind it. But it’s not their job to go ahead and do that,” said Tyler.
We told you about an uptick in local cases like this back in February, showing people looking to meet up with minors being lured in by vigilantes who confronted them.
Detective Ryan Ellis with the Human Exploitation Group at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office says these private attempts to catch a predator can be extremely dangerous for the vigilantes and the public.
“Sometimes these groups can confront people who are armed with firearms. They’re violent individuals, have extensive criminal histories,” said Ellis.
Jacksonville Beach Police told Action News Jax that this is the first time this year that they have dealt with a case like this. It’s unclear if the four men have been caught or charged.
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