The Pensacola Police report stated that New World Believer founder Rodney Jones was arrested on an outstanding warrant for violation of Florida Statute 794.05(1).
- That statute is for Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors, which indicates that an arrest warrant was issued for being 24 years of age or older and accused of engaging in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age.
Key Legal and Personal Implications
Charge Class & Penalty: This is a second-degree felony.
Imprisonment: Up to 15 years in state prison.
Fines: Up to $10,000.
Probation: Up to 15 years of probation.
Sex Offender Registration: A conviction under this statute requires mandatory, lifetime registration as a sex offender in Florida.
“Sexual Activity” Definition: The statute defines this as oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another, or penetration of another by any object.
No “Romeo and Juliet” Exception: Because the statute specifically targets offenders 24 or older, the “Romeo and Juliet” law (which allows for exceptions if the age gap is four years or less) does not apply to 794.05.
No Defense of Ignorance: It is not a defense to claim you believed the victim was 18 or older.
Two Avenues for Contact with Teens
- Jones had contact with at-risk teens through a Escambia Children’s Trust-funded mental health program and Circuit 1’s Citation Program.
Escambia Children’s Trust Grant
According to the Trust’s annual mental health programming report, the NWB’s Healthy Opportunities and Options Promoting Success (H.O.O.P.S.) program provides “comprehensive wraparound services” to at-risk youth aged 11-18 and their families in Northwest Florida. The Trust has awarded NWB a three-year, $1.7 million grant that began in October 2023. As of Nov. 30, 2025, the nonprofit received $901,972.
The Trust staff reviewed NWB’s grant request for its third year. Jones gave his qualifications:
Rodney Jones is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a Master’s in Counseling & Psychology, a Certified Anger Management Counselor, a Certified Emotional Intelligence Therapist, and a Ph.D. candidate who has completed all coursework and dissertation requirements. He has 25 years of direct professional experience working with underserved populations and guiding youth toward success.”
The nonprofit employed six members of the Jones family as contract workers.
Parents
Rodney Jones, executive director: $59,876
Latshasa Jones, wife and program manager: $53,051
Children
Romeo Jones, financial assistant: $26,884
Rodrico Jones, mental health counselor: $26,884
Ranajia Jones, aftercare coordinator: $18,281
Radajeline Jones, aftercare coordinator: $18,281
Total: $203,257 – 53% of professional services
Note: Rodrico Jones was arrested on Jan. 18 and charged with obstruction of justice.
Trust Money for Teens
NWB’s budget included direct assistance to the at-risk youth. “Youth will receive assistance (90 days -approximately 12 weeks). The Maxium (sic) amount that youth can receive is $600. However, the youth has up to 180 days to spend the total amount.”
- The approved budget has $60,458 for Direct Client Assistance.
We don’t know if the minor(s) involved took part in the Escambia Children’s Trust-funded H.O.O.P.S. program.
Civil Citations For Teens
State DJJ lists New World Believers as part of the Prearrest Delinquency Citation Program for the First Circuit. This, too, put Rodney Jones in contact with teens who have committed minor offenses. See page here.
- According to the page, Circuit 1 issued 104 citations for FY 2024-25
For years on end, some of us have been screaming at the tops of our lungs
THIS IS HOW THE CHILDREN’S TRUST SQUANDERS MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON UNPROFESSIONAL, ILL-ORGANIZED, NEPOTISTIC, SALARY-HEAVY DOG AND PONY SHOWS MASQUERADING AS CHILDREN’S SERVICES.
For years on end, some of us have been screaming at the tops of our lungs
OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY IS IN SHAMBLES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR YOUTH IS NOTHING BUT A MIRAGE.
This tragic story was *ALREADY* the confluence of these two epic and ongoing failures on the part of our community.
It hardly needed the arrest of one of the leading Children’s Trust nurtured cons, whose organization has been handed gobs of money because of Trust *staff* recommendations to the policy board, led in ALL things by its executive director.
The fact that there are now potential criminal implications, however, isn’t just unsurprising, but the natural outcome of the lax manner in which the Trust doles out its funds without sufficient vetting and oversight, ignoring all red flags–even *after* all of the games and gaslighting have been publicly exposed.
If the policy board, and better still the community, do not unite in correcting this debacle, the danger it is putting every child who comes in contact with one of these slipshod “agencies” will be on the hands of every person who has defended, bolstered, or worse still profited from Trust dollars.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, people. Just how bad do you want this to get? Because with the way those salaries are rolling on many of those agencies’ books, and with the pathetic excuse for oversight the Trust administration offers, there isn’t any reason that things can’t get a whole lot worse than they already are.