A two-month enforcement operation in Jacksonville, Florida, led to the arrest of 59 registered sex offenders and predators for violating post-release requirements, authorities announced Thursday. The initiative, dubbed Operation Riverwatch, involved more than 500 compliance checks conducted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Offender Tracking Unit in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service from June 15 through August 14.
The arrests followed 535 checks of registered offenders, with detectives dedicating over 230 hours to the effort. The individuals detained ranged in age from 21 to 76, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities stated that those arrested had violated rules they were required to follow after being released from prison or jail.
Florida law mandates that registered sexual offenders and predators adhere to specific registration and reporting requirements. Violations of these rules can result in felony charges and additional registration obligations, depending on the nature of the original offense. The sheriff’s office did not specify which particular requirements each of the 59 individuals allegedly breached.
In a social media statement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office emphasized the operation’s goal: “Keeping watch on local sexual offenders and career offenders to keep you and your families safe.” The agency described the arrested individuals as having “found themselves back behind bars for breaking the rules.”
The operation was conducted entirely within Jacksonville, a city of approximately 950,000 residents in northeastern Florida. The sheriff’s office has not released further details regarding the charges faced by those arrested or the specific nature of the violations. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for additional information about the operation’s outcomes or next steps.