A Florida man has been arrested after a concerned mother found explicit material of her child on the family acquaintance's phone.
Michael J. Meadors, 68, was arrested by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday after responding to reports of a man who had explicit material on his phone of a child under the age of 12.
Meadors Filmed Himself 'Inappropriately Touching' the Sleeping Child
The sheriff's office said they received a call from the concerned parent after she came across the shocking video of her child on Meadors' phone. According to an arrest report, Meadors was a longtime friend of the family as well as the family lawyer.
Meadors recorded himself walking into a bedroom, where the child was sleeping, and touched the child inappropriately. The child was staying the night under Meadors' care on Sunday evening when deputies said the sexual assault took place.
When the child's mother found the video on Meadors' phone, she immediately alerted the sheriff's office. The special victim's unit quickly responded to the incident and took Meadors' into custody after collecting the evidence and identifying him at a pre-arranged meeting spot.
Meadors Charged with Sexual Battery
Meadors confessed to sexually assaulting the child, even after the child asked him to stop."I don't know what's the matter with me, I'm sorry," Meadors added. "I'm guilty. I did not do it every night," the report stated. He has been charged with capital sexual battery and is being held in the St. Johns County jail with no bond.
According to The Florida Bar Association, Meadors is listed as a member in good standing, eligible to practice law in Florida. A legal directory website, states Meadors was a former teacher for over 20 years before becoming an attorney.
He currently has a family law practice in Gainesville called Meadors Family Law and has been in business for the past 15 years, specializing in cases including divorce, child support, child custody and domestic violence cases.
