A 44-year-old Yulee scout leader is facing felony charges after a teenager told Nassau County detectives he touched them in an unwanted and sexual manner on multiple occasions. Brandon Wayne Meredith was arrested last Friday and booked into the Nassau County jail, held on a $65,000 bond.
According to News4JAX, Meredith was charged with one count of lewd or lascivious battery and one count of battery following the October 16 arrest. Detectives went to the victim's home that day, where the teen told police that Meredith had touched them on multiple occasions, the station reports.
Sheriff Vows Full Investigation
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors are taken extremely seriously, per the same account. He encouraged anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Meredith to come forward so detectives can investigate and address their concerns.
The sheriff's office has assigned Detective Chloey Reifschneider to lead the investigation, and anyone with information is asked to contact her at [email protected]. Sheriff Leeper's push for additional victims to step forward echoes a January 2022 case in Central Florida, where Orange County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested a Boy Scouts district executive on multiple counts of sexual battery and lewd molestation of minors and likewise appealed publicly for more potential victims, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
What Florida Law Says About the Charges
Florida Statute 800.04 addresses lewd or lascivious offenses involving minors.
Florida law also places a strict duty on adults and youth organization leaders to report suspected child sexual abuse. Florida Statute 39.201, part of the state's Protection of Vulnerable Persons Act, requires anyone who knows or reasonably suspects child sexual abuse to report it to DCF, according to Florida Atlantic University. Failure to report carries up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Scouting's National Safeguards and Yulee's Local Ties
Scouting America maintains nationwide youth protection policies requiring two adult leaders at all group activities and prohibiting one-on-one adult-youth interactions. Adult leaders and employees undergo screening that includes criminal background checks, and adult leaders are required to complete youth-protection training. In the Larsen case, the organization barred the accused from participating and entered his name into an internal Volunteer Screening Database.
Yulee falls within the North Florida Council of Scouting America. Meredith's role within the council, if any, and whether he has been formally removed from its rolls remain unclear.
No additional victims have been publicly identified, and it remains unclear whether Meredith has entered a plea. Anyone with information is urged to reach out to the detective leading the case rather than the sheriff's office generally.
