JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) engineer was arrested and accused of groping a woman who was working at a concert at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in November, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
On Dec. 11, JSO interviewed a woman who was working at the Jelly Roll concert on Nov. 23 and she told police the 60-year-old JFRD engineer, who was also working at the concert, came to her several times and used his arm to touch her breasts when he would walk past her, the incident report states. (News4JAX is choosing not to identify the man because the charges he faces are a misdemeanor)
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According to the incident report, the woman said she was uncomfortable with the man’s actions and moved to an area closer to where other employees were standing. After that, the woman said the man would walk past her and use his hand in an “apparent intentional manner” to touch her butt.
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The woman tried to report the man’s actions to officers working inside the arena but said she didn’t because the man was standing nearby. According to police, the woman reported the incident to JFRD after she left work.
On Dec. 11, JSO also spoke with an eyewitness, who said she was near where the victim was working and saw the JFRD employee “brush up” against her breasts and butt several times. The witness also described the man reaching his arm and hand out “intentionally” touching the victim’s butt and seeing a “look of concern immediately on the victim’s face.” The incident report states the witness told the woman to report the man’s actions to her supervisors.
On Dec. 12, JSO also interviewed two officers who were working at the concert that night. According to the incident report, both officers recalled being approached by the victim while they were with a JFRD lieutenant, and the victim told them the man had touched her breasts multiple times. At that point, the woman said she was looking to complain about the man’s actions to JFRD but declined to have a police report written. According to the incident report, the woman pointed out the suspect, and one of the officers identified him and said she knew him personally from working prior special events with him.
After investigating, JSO arrested the JFRD employee on Dec. 13 and charged him with battery, a first-degree misdemeanor.
He was released from jail on a $40,000 bond and is set to be arraigned on Jan. 14.
News4JAX reached out to JFRD regarding this incident and the employee’s status and is waiting to hear back.