Reported by Angelina Nunez
july 2026 (part 2)
Editor’s note:This report contains allegations. All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
Tadao konda fowler
Charges
Soliciting a parent, legal guardian or custodian of a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices
Solicitation for the promotion of a sexual performance by a child
Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Background
A Southern California middle school teacher is facing felony charges after investigators say he responded to an undercover online childcare advertisement and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with someone he believed was the parent of an 8-year-old girl.
According to investigators, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office was conducting an undercover operation when Tadao Konda Fowler responded to a Craigslist advertisement in the childcare section seeking a male babysitter to care for an 8-year-old girl overnight in St. Augustine. Authorities allege Fowler initiated sexually explicit communications with an undercover investigator who was posing as the child’s parent. Fowler allegedly asked to take the child to his home for a few days for “some fun,” assuring the undercover investigator he would not leave any visible marks on the child’s body. Investigators allege he also requested nude photographs of the child, asked whether she was a virgin and stated that after his visit “she won’t be.”
As part of the investigation, detectives reportedly found multiple photographs of students from Fowler’s classroom stored in his iCloud account. The students were described as being unaware the photographs and videos had allegedly been taken. Fowler is married and has one child, according to the arrest report.
WARNING: The arrest warrant contains sexually explicit text messages allegedly exchanged between Fowler and an undercover officer.
Current Court Status
Fowler was taken into custody by the Downey Police Department in California on July 7, 2026, following the investigation into the allegations. He was released after posting bond and has entered a plea of not guilty. The case is assigned to Judge Christopher S. Ferebee, and Fowler is scheduled to appear for a felony pretrial hearing on Sept. 1, 2026, at 9 a.m.
joseph matthew garner
Charges/Conviction
Aggravated battery against a pregnant person, a second-degree felony
Garner pleaded no contest and was adjudicated guilty by the court.
Background
Background: What began as a domestic dispute escalated into a violent assault on a pregnant woman, according to authorities. Joseph Matthew Garner was arrested on August 29, 2025 after allegedly punching his pregnant girlfriend, pushing her to the ground and continuing the attack outside the home while she pleaded for him to stop. A witness who attempted to intervene was also allegedly punched, and a cellphone video captured part of the incident. Garner was charged with aggravated battery against a pregnant person, a second-degree felony.
Court records show Garner has a lengthy history of domestic violence-related cases and violations of protective injunctions, with at least 10 cases filed in St. Johns County. The documented cases include allegations of domestic violence and repeated violations of court-ordered no-contact restrictions.
In June 2021, Garner was arrested after deputies said an argument with an intimate partner became physical inside their shared home. According to the arrest report, Garner allegedly grabbed the victim, restrained her from leaving and took her cellphone after realizing she was attempting to contact law enforcement. The incident resulted in charges including domestic violence battery, false imprisonment and witness tampering.
Garner later faced multiple allegations of violating domestic violence injunctions. In 2021 and throughout 2023, authorities alleged Garner repeatedly contacted protected individuals despite active no-contact orders. Investigators said some of the alleged violations involved repeated phone calls, text messages and attempts to communicate through different phone numbers. In one 2023 incident, authorities alleged Garner sent messages asking to speak with the protected person and included an image appearing to show him holding a firearm to his head while making statements suggesting he was saying goodbye. Court records do not confirm whether all prior domestic violence-related cases involved the same victim.
Current Court Status
The defendant pleaded no contest on November 6, 2025 to aggravated battery against a pregnant person and was adjudicated guilty. A violation of probation was filed in May 2026 and the defendant admitted the violation. The court revoked and reinstated his probation with additional conditions, including five years of probation, 50 hours of community service, a no-contact order with the victim and participation in Veterans Treatment Court. The case remains active under Judge Howard O. McGillin Jr., with the next Veterans Treatment Court hearing scheduled for August 7, 2026.
christopher ferrer landon
Charges
Aggravated Stalking After Injunction
Written Threats to Kill or Do Bodily Injury
Background
A Massachusetts motorcycle club member, alleged to be the president of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, is facing felony charges after ignoring a court-issued protective injunction more than 700 times while terrorizing the protected victim with repeated threats, according to St. Johns County authorities.
According to an arrest warrant, Christopher Ferrer Landon was arrested on June 2, 2026 after allegedly contacting the victim at least 733 times through phone calls, text messages, voicemails, emails and social media, despite a court order prohibiting all contact. Authorities said the communications included repeated threats, with one voicemail allegedly stating, "You'll...die, you're going to...die," after a stream of profanities. Investigators also allege Landon emailed the victim, claiming he was in Florida for "one reason.”
The arrest warrant further details the victim's allegations of past abuse, including claims that Landon had previously broken her bones, choked her, flicked lit cigarettes into her eye, dragged her and destroyed her phone during their relationship. The victim told investigators she feared she would be killed, prompting her to purchase a firearm for protection and seek counseling before obtaining the injunction. Authorities said phone records documented 434 calls or attempted calls between October 2025 and January 2026, while investigators described a broader pattern of alleged harassment spanning hundreds of contacts in violation of the court order.
Current Court Status
Landon was released on bond on June 3, 2026, with a no-contact order in place. Prosecutors later sought to revoke his bond but withdrew that request during a July 22 hearing, allowing him to remain out of custody. The case remains pending before Judge Christopher S. Ferebee, with Landon's next court appearance scheduled for a felony pretrial hearing on July 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
micah eugene hatcher
Charges
Two counts of sexual misconduct involving a client with a disability
One count of sexual battery by a person 18 years or older on a person 12 years or older but younger than 18
Background
A home health caregiver entrusted with protecting a vulnerable adult is now facing multiple felony charges after investigators allege he used his position of authority to sexually exploit the person he was assigned to care for, then attempted to prevent the alleged abuse from being reported through manipulation, money and gifts.
Micah Eugene Hatcher, a caregiver employed by Out and About People Inc., groomed the victim, who is identified in court records as a disabled adult who was receiving home health services through the agency and living in the group home, according to investigators. Hatcher is accused of using his position as a caregiver to develop a relationship that authorities say exploited the victim’s vulnerabilities.
The arrest warrant alleges Hatcher told the victim he was pregnant with the victim’s child, a claim investigators say was used as part of an effort to manipulate and maintain the alleged relationship. Authorities further allege Hatcher attempted to keep the victim from disclosing the alleged abuse by offering him a PlayStation 5, an iPhone, a debit card and money. Investigators also allege Hatcher communicated with the victim through TextNow and, at times, posed as his own niece in an effort to encourage and conceal the relationship.
Hatcher was arrested on a warrant issued in St. Johns County. Court records show his bond was set at a combined $1 million across the three felony charges, and he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim or minors.
Current Court Status
Hatcher was arrested July 21 after a warrant was executed by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. On July 23, the court entered a pretrial release no-contact order prohibiting Hatcher from contacting the alleged victim. The case remains pending before Judge Christopher S. Ferebee in the Seventh Judicial Circuit.
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