Just kidding, of course. It's a Republican campaign strategist and board member of a group trying to convert public schools into "charter schools."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include an additional response posted Thursday evening on Facebook by Newberry City Commissioner Tim Marden.
One of the leaders of the recent initiative to convert the three public schools in the city of Newberry into charter schools has been accused of soliciting a 15-year-old boy for "sexual acts," according to an Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrest report.
Jail records show Joel Bruce Searby, 43, was booked into the Alachua County Jail late Thursday morning on charges of lewd or lascivious conduct, use of a computer to solicit a minor, enticing a minor to travel, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Searby was being held without bail Thursday night at the Alachua County Jail. The Sun called the phone number listed for his family's store but there was no answer. A reporter also called Searby's cellphone but it went straight to voicemail. The arrest report does not list any other phone number for Searby or his family.
According to the arrest report, the investigation by the sheriff's office began Wednesday after Searby in a Snapchat conversion with the victim sent messages that were "sexual in nature" and "solicited the victim for sexual acts and photos..."
Charter initiative:District pushes back after Newberry group claims elementary school charter conversion passed
The conversation detailed in the report begins to turn sexual after Searby shares that he had a "secret crush" on an older guy in high school. He wrote that his "secret crush" was in his 40s and that he "was like 14-15." He wrote that they first kissed and then "did more stuff in secret whenever we could. He kind of taught me stuff. ..."
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According to the report, Searby then asks the victim if he "Would ever do something like that?" The victim replies, "maybe I would have to think abt it".
Searby then goes into more detail about his interactions with his "secret crush." According to the report, he wrote that they eventually engaged in both manual and oral sex. He then asks the victim if he would "ever do that stuff?" Searby also asks if the victim if he would keep it a secret.
"I'm super secret. I have to know you will keep it between us. It's a huge deal," Searby wrote, according to the report. The victim replied, "I will."
He eventually invites the victim to come over the following morning and, when asked by the teen what they would be doing, Searby, according to the report, writes that "we'd do some of what I described before. Do you want to? The victim writes "Yes." Searby then again asks for secrecy.
"... I want you to. But here's the deal, before I show face and we agree to it, I have to KNOW that you will keep itour secret. Forever. Just like I did with the guy I had when I was in high school. We had fun from my freshman year on, secretly, whenever we could. No one ever knew. But as could both get in trouble if anyone finds out. Especially me. And NO ONE knows," the report says.
After sending some photos, Searby "continued to text the victim and suggested a plan for the victim to sneak out and go to the defendant's guest house," the report says.
The following morning, "law enforcement took over the conversion from the victim's Snap Chat Account." According to the report, Searby planned to send a text message to the victim's phone asking if he could come over and help him do some yard work. The message was meant to "give the victim an excuse with his parents to come over," according to the report.
Using the victim's phone, law enforcement used the Snapchat account to message Searby and asked him to send the text message about the yard work. The victim then received a text message from Searby's number.
"This confirmed further that the defendant was the one sending the Snap Chat messages to the victim," the report says.
Searby then used Snapchat to invite the victim over earlier than discussed.
Law enforcement, posing as the victim, responded from the victim's account: "When you mentioned yesterday about (manual stimulation.) Is that al we would be doing?"
According to the report, Searby replied: "I mean I would like to do more but we can take it one step at a time and if I start doing anything you don't want to do we can stop. I'll walk you through it."
Detectives then arrived with a search warrant at Searby's Archer residence and took him into custody.
During questioning, Searby declined to comment as to why he thought he had been arrested, and if he knew the victim, the report says. He then "asked if his wife would be told about this."
Searby is a board member for Newberry Education First, the nonprofit behind the recent charter school conversion initiative in Newberry. He also spent many years at a Gainesville-based political consulting company called Data Targeting, where he worked on countless campaigns for Republican candidates.
Tim Marden, a Newberry city commissioner and head of the local Republican Party, initially urged people in a Thursday afternoon Facebook post not to rush to judgment.
"... I make no judgements. I wish I could say I trust the justice system but even that has proven suspect to me…going back to OJ Simpson... ," part of the post said.
After reading the details in the report, however, he issued an updated response Thursday evening.
"Below was posted before I read the extended details. So you can filter that through your responses. I agree the report is quite damning and I feel terrible for this young man involved. No two ways about it. Gut wrenching. Not going to try to apologize for this kind of behavior or work through any ancillary stuff out in my head. Why would you? This is a black eye on the EFN initiative by association but this is something, as it appears now, to be his and his alone to own and it should not cast a long shadow onto anyone else involved in EFN. He owns it from everything reported now and I hope he, his family, and the victim get the kind of help needed. It’s just a sad, sad situation."
Man who helped spearhead Newberry charter initiative accused of trying to lure teen for sex
Staff reportEditor's note: This story has been updated to include an additional response posted Thursday evening on Facebook by Newberry City Commissioner Tim Marden.
One of the leaders of the recent initiative to convert the three public schools in the city of Newberry into charter schools has been accused of soliciting a 15-year-old boy for "sexual acts," according to an Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrest report.
Jail records show Joel Bruce Searby, 43, was booked into the Alachua County Jail late Thursday morning on charges of lewd or lascivious conduct, use of a computer to solicit a minor, enticing a minor to travel, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Searby was being held without bail Thursday night at the Alachua County Jail. The Sun called the phone number listed for his family's store but there was no answer. A reporter also called Searby's cellphone but it went straight to voicemail. The arrest report does not list any other phone number for Searby or his family.
According to the arrest report, the investigation by the sheriff's office began Wednesday after Searby in a Snapchat conversion with the victim sent messages that were "sexual in nature" and "solicited the victim for sexual acts and photos..."
Charter initiative:District pushes back after Newberry group claims elementary school charter conversion passed
The conversation detailed in the report begins to turn sexual after Searby shares that he had a "secret crush" on an older guy in high school. He wrote that his "secret crush" was in his 40s and that he "was like 14-15." He wrote that they first kissed and then "did more stuff in secret whenever we could. He kind of taught me stuff. ..."
Get the News Alerts newsletter in your inbox.
Get alerted to the latest stories to stay on top of the news
Delivery: Varies
Your Email
According to the report, Searby then asks the victim if he "Would ever do something like that?" The victim replies, "maybe I would have to think abt it".
Searby then goes into more detail about his interactions with his "secret crush." According to the report, he wrote that they eventually engaged in both manual and oral sex. He then asks the victim if he would "ever do that stuff?" Searby also asks if the victim if he would keep it a secret.
"I'm super secret. I have to know you will keep it between us. It's a huge deal," Searby wrote, according to the report. The victim replied, "I will."
He eventually invites the victim to come over the following morning and, when asked by the teen what they would be doing, Searby, according to the report, writes that "we'd do some of what I described before. Do you want to? The victim writes "Yes." Searby then again asks for secrecy.
"... I want you to. But here's the deal, before I show face and we agree to it, I have to KNOW that you will keep itour secret. Forever. Just like I did with the guy I had when I was in high school. We had fun from my freshman year on, secretly, whenever we could. No one ever knew. But as could both get in trouble if anyone finds out. Especially me. And NO ONE knows," the report says.
After sending some photos, Searby "continued to text the victim and suggested a plan for the victim to sneak out and go to the defendant's guest house," the report says.
The following morning, "law enforcement took over the conversion from the victim's Snap Chat Account." According to the report, Searby planned to send a text message to the victim's phone asking if he could come over and help him do some yard work. The message was meant to "give the victim an excuse with his parents to come over," according to the report.
Using the victim's phone, law enforcement used the Snapchat account to message Searby and asked him to send the text message about the yard work. The victim then received a text message from Searby's number.
"This confirmed further that the defendant was the one sending the Snap Chat messages to the victim," the report says.
Searby then used Snapchat to invite the victim over earlier than discussed.
Law enforcement, posing as the victim, responded from the victim's account: "When you mentioned yesterday about (manual stimulation.) Is that al we would be doing?"
According to the report, Searby replied: "I mean I would like to do more but we can take it one step at a time and if I start doing anything you don't want to do we can stop. I'll walk you through it."
Detectives then arrived with a search warrant at Searby's Archer residence and took him into custody.
During questioning, Searby declined to comment as to why he thought he had been arrested, and if he knew the victim, the report says. He then "asked if his wife would be told about this."
Searby is a board member for Newberry Education First, the nonprofit behind the recent charter school conversion initiative in Newberry. He also spent many years at a Gainesville-based political consulting company called Data Targeting, where he worked on countless campaigns for Republican candidates.
Tim Marden, a Newberry city commissioner and head of the local Republican Party, initially urged people in a Thursday afternoon Facebook post not to rush to judgment.
"... I make no judgements. I wish I could say I trust the justice system but even that has proven suspect to me…going back to OJ Simpson... ," part of the post said.
After reading the details in the report, however, he issued an updated response Thursday evening.
"Below was posted before I read the extended details. So you can filter that through your responses. I agree the report is quite damning and I feel terrible for this young man involved. No two ways about it. Gut wrenching. Not going to try to apologize for this kind of behavior or work through any ancillary stuff out in my head. Why would you? This is a black eye on the EFN initiative by association but this is something, as it appears now, to be his and his alone to own and it should not cast a long shadow onto anyone else involved in EFN. He owns it from everything reported now and I hope he, his family, and the victim get the kind of help needed. It’s just a sad, sad situation."
