FORMER JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS LINEBACKER TELVIN SMITH CHARGED WITH HAVING SEX WITH MINOR
On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, a heavily armored SWAT team and detectives were seen at Former NFL Jaguar linebacker Telvin Smith’s, Jacksonville home. Smith, 29, was arrested after allegedly having sex with an underage girl. He was taken into custody and booked into the Duval County Jail. According to Smith’s warrant, he is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl multiple times, at his Jacksonville home and in his Cadillac Escalade last August and September.
According to his arrest warrant, Smith met the girl at her job last summer and took pictures with her. Testimony from the girl and a co-worker revealed that Smith knew her age at the time because she told him she had recently celebrated her 17th birthday. After her first sexual encounter with Smith, she told a friend and family member what happened.
After one meeting, Smith reportedly offered the teen $200 and told her not to tell anyone about their relationship or he could go to jail. He instructed her to say he was her “mentor” if anyone asked. According to police, the girl’s DNA was recovered from Smith’s SUV, which was collected as evidence in December 2019.
According to Florida Statute 794.05, the charge of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors is a second-degree felony. It applies to any person age 24 or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years old.
Smith has been released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond. There is no court date listed.
Child sexual abuse is a crime as a child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity. Child sex offenders present a very real level of risk to the public, and must be held accountable. When a perpetrator targets a child, they are committing a crime that can have life long lasting effects on the victim.
If you are or someone you know has knowledge concerning any sex crime by Telvin Smith, contact law enforcement. Horowitz Law is a law firm representing \ survivors of sexual abuse. If you or a loved one was sexually abused, raped or sexually molested, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation.