Police arrest Palatka man who faces multiple charges including sex battery on a child
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a Palatka man who is facing multiple charges including sex battery on a child, and on life felony for tampering with a victim/witness in a capital felony proceeding in a 2021 investigation.
According to PCSO, the investigation began after a tip to the Florida Abuse Hotline. The tip was derived from an email that the victim sent through a school account to other students. The email triggered a flag due to profanity found in the email.
A school administrator reportedly reviewing the email found reason to suspect that the victim was sexually assaulted and contacted the abuse hotline.
The DCF then began an investigation and contacted the sheriff’s office.
Upon disclosure to investigators, an injunction was filed to prevent contact between the victim and the suspect.
On May 12, 2021, a search warrant was reportedly conducted at the suspect’s residence and several items were collected for DNA processing. The items were then sent to an FDLE crime lab and the results were returned on July 1, 2022.
Detectives finished their investigation and submitted charges to the State Attorney’s office. A warrant was signed for 49-year-old John Yural Hudson’s arrest last week and he was arrested on April 24. Hudson was taken to the Putnam County Jail and is being held without bond.
“While this case occurred before the proposed state death penalty option for child molesters, it definitely presents a case to support this type of punishment for these monsters,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said. “This child was subjected to rape and sexual abuse… The victim was robbed of childhood innocence and terrorized.”
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