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St. Johns County: Man arrested, charged with sexual battery of minor

Deputies with the St. John’s County Sherriff’s Office (SJSO) hope a recent arrest will serve as an important reminder to parents about the importance of monitoring their child’s social media activity.

On March 24, Detectives with the SJSO Special Victims Unit began investigating Matthew Webster, 20, of Ponte Vedra Beach, after receiving allegations that he had engaged in sexual activity with a child between the ages of 12 and 16.

Detectives say Webster met his victim through social media.

On March 30, Webster was arrested and charged with one count of Lewd/Lascivious Battery.

Investigators also discovered Webster was providing “vape” materials to the victim.

In an official statement, SJSO said, “This case highlights the importance of parents being engaged in their children’s social media activities and question who they are having conversations with via electronic communications.”

Samantha Mathers

Samantha Mathers, Action News Jax

Samantha Mathers is a digital reporter and content creator for Action News Jax.