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Adarius Taylor abandoned his ailing son to pursue a rendezvous with a sex worker.
Disgraced former NFL linebacker Adarius Taylor has found himself at the centre of a scandal after leaving his six-year-old son — who suffers from medical issues alone in a locked vehicle while he attempted to solicit sex from an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute.
What happened?
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According to TMZ, the incident took place on May 8 in Polk County, Florida, during a week-long human trafficking sting operation ominously dubbed "Fool Around and Find Out" by law enforcement.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Taylor responded to a decoy escort advertisement posted online by undercover officers.
Upon arrival at what appeared to be a hotel, Taylor reportedly entered the room, discussed sexual services with the undercover female officer, and exited shortly thereafter — only to be promptly arrested.
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However, matters escalated dramatically when deputies discovered Taylor’s child alone in his truck outside, with no prior mention of the child made during his arrest.
"This guy here," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said of Taylor during a press conference, "obviously he must have hit one too many people as a linebacker because his brain cells are scrambled. He shouldn't have shown up in the first place, but to leave that child? My goodness."
"So he picked up a child neglect charge along with everything else."
A career crashed and family in crisis
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Taylor, 33, played for several NFL teams including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers, and briefly for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2023.
His professional career, once marked by athletic prowess, now lies overshadowed by this damning episode of parental negligence and legal trouble.
The child, who Sheriff Judd confirmed “has a lot of medical issues,” was later released to his mother and is reportedly doing well.
Taylor has been charged with soliciting prostitution and felony child neglect. Court records show he is scheduled to appear in court on June 10.
This arrest forms part of a broader operation that led to over 250 arrests for crimes including prostitution, human trafficking, and child sex offences. Authorities say four potential victims of human trafficking were also rescued during the sting.
As at the time of this report, Taylor has not issued any public statement.
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