A former NFL linebacker who once played for the Cleveland Browns has been arrested in Florida as part of a massive human trafficking investigation that netted over 250 individuals.
Adarius Taylor was taken into custody during a sweeping undercover operation targeting prostitution and related offenses, according to multiple reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The arrest became even more disturbing when Sheriff Grady Judd revealed during a press conference that Taylor’s 6-year-old child was present during the incident.
“Taylor had left the child inside a vehicle when he went inside the spot where the sting operation was being held, the Sentinel reports. The child was ‘immediately recovered by the Florida Department of Children and Families,'” Cleveland.com’s Cliff Pinckard shared.
The situation has sent shockwaves, raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Court documents show Taylor faces felony negligent child abuse without bodily harm and misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution charges.
Taylor’s professional football journey began in 2014 when he signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic University.
After being waived in 2015, he returned to the Panthers briefly in 2020 for two games before moving on to other opportunities.
His most productive years came with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent four seasons and established himself as a reliable defender.
In 2018, Taylor recorded a career-high 60 tackles and five passes defended, showing significant improvement from his earlier seasons.
The Cleveland Browns signed Taylor as a free agent in March 2019, but his tenure was short-lived.
The team released him in February 2020 after he appeared in 15 games, primarily contributing on special teams with nine tackles.
Most recently, Taylor played with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League during the 2023 season.
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