Josue Garriga III, Enticement of a Minor, Florida 2023

Josue Garriga III, a 34-year-old former detective with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, has pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor in a shocking case that has left the community reeling. The crime, which occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, has sent shockwaves through the city’s law enforcement community.

Josue Garriga III, who was a detective with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s gang unit, met the 17-year-old victim at church in 2023. Over the course of several months, Garriga pursued a sexual relationship with the child victim, which included sending nude photos and videos of himself, as well as engaging in explicit conversations over FaceTime.

The investigation, which was conducted by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, revealed that Garriga used his JSO-issued cell phone and an undercover Instagram account to reach out to the child victim and obtained her phone number. He then used his personal cell phone to communicate with the child victim, directing their messages to an end-to-end encrypted app set to automatically delete the messages after 24 hours.

Garriga’s crimes were uncovered after the child victim reported the abuse to authorities. An investigation was launched, and Garriga was subsequently arrested and charged with enticement of a minor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.

Garriga faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Following his release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and serve a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

This case is yet another example of the devastating impact of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and the need for continued efforts to combat this heinous crime. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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