Rodney Terrell Jones, 54, founder of the New World Believer H.O.O.P.S. program that contracts with Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice and has received $900K from the Escambia Children’s Trust, was arrested last Wednesday on charges of sexual battery of a minor.
According to arrest documents obtained by Inweekly, Jones is charged under Florida Statute 794.05.1 – sexual battery by a person 24 years or older on a victim between 16 and 17 years of age. Read ChargeReport_Redacted Rodney Jones.
The Allegations
The investigation began Dec. 23, 2025, when Pensacola Police were dispatched to Gulf Coast Kids House regarding a sexual assault report. A Child Protective Investigator reported receiving a DCF abuse complaint alleging a juvenile in the DJJ program had been in a sexual relationship with an adult male who was a contract provider for the agency.
The victim, who was enrolled in Jones’ H.O.O.P.S. program at 2112 W. Yonge Street for court-ordered community service, told investigators that Jones exploited his position as her counselor. According to the arrest affidavit:
- Jones allegedly began making inappropriate advances while the victim was cleaning the facility’s bathroom alone
- The victim reported unwanted touching and later sexual contact in Jones’ vehicles
- Investigators documented approximately $2,000 in payments to the victim through Cash App and cash
- Text messages recovered from the victim’s phone, which Jones had purchased for her, showed communications consistent with her statement.s
- The victim told investigators she feared reporting the abuse because Jones controlled her community service hours and could have her probation violate.d
Position of Trust, Position of Power
What makes these allegations particularly disturbing is the power dynamic involved. The victim was a juvenile under court supervision, required to complete community service through Jones’ program. According to the arrest documents, Jones used this authority to isolate the victim and pressure her into a sexual relationship.
- “She was fearful of stopping having sexual intercourse because she didn’t want him to violate her probation,” investigators wrote in the probable cause affidavit.
Witness Tampering Allegations
The case took an additional troubling turn when Jones’ three adult children allegedly attempted to interfere with the prosecution. According to police documents:
- Rodrico Jones, Selina Jones and Romeo Jones are accused of intimidating the victim and her guardian
- Rodrico Jones allegedly offered the victim’s guardian $10,000 to have the victim recant her statements
- When arrested Jan. 18, Rodrico Jones was found carrying “several thousands of dollars.”
- Selina Jones allegedly told the guardian, “We know this is about having sex with Rodney” – information that had not been publicly disclosed.
Judge Frydrychowicz signed arrest warrants for all three adult children on charges of victim/witness tampering.
What Happens Next
Jones’ first appearance is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. in Escambia Circuit Court.
The investigation was conducted by the Pensacola Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, with Officer Amanda Robinson serving as the primary investigator.
The Victim’s Statements
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim provided detailed accounts to investigators that paint a disturbing picture of how Jones allegedly exploited his authority over a vulnerable teenager in the justice system.
The victim, who entered the H.O.O.P.S. program at age 16 while on probation, told investigators that Jones began making her uncomfortable almost immediately. She said he would talk to her inappropriately when she first entered the program, but always waited until no one else was around before making sexual comments.
The victim described two specific incidents that escalated from inappropriate comments to physical contact:
The First Incident
While completing court-ordered community service at the H.O.O.P.S. facility on West Yonge Street, the victim said Jones would make her stay late to clean the bathroom. By that time, all other juveniles had gone home, leaving her alone in the building with Jones.
During one of these occasions, she was cleaning the bathroom when Jones came up behind her and reached around to touch her breast. She was 17 years old at the time.
“Victim described feeling scared and intimidated,” investigators wrote. “She expressed she was worried if she told him to stop he wouldn’t sign off on her community service hours and she would have her probation violated.”
That fear of having her probation violated became the mechanism of control Jones allegedly used throughout their relationship.
Escalation to Sexual Contact
The victim told investigators that Jones would pick her up and take her to a park directly by her apartment, staying within city limits. On multiple occasions while in his black truck (later identified as a gray Chevrolet registered to his business), sexual contact occurred.
She described being in the back seat with her legs propped on the center console, looking at her phone, when she felt Jones’ “private area” touching her leg through her clothes. This happened multiple times in both his truck and a white Mercedes he drove.
These encounters eventually escalated to sexual intercourse, which the victim estimated occurred approximately five times, always in the back seat of his truck when he would drive her home from the program.
Financial Control and Manipulation
Investigators documented a pattern of payments that Jones made to the victim throughout their relationship. The victim estimated he paid her approximately $2,000 total through a combination of Cash App transfers and cash payments. The Escambia Children’s Trust grant allowed Jones to give participants up to $600 each.
Jones had also purchased a cell phone for the victim and was paying her phone bill – a fact confirmed by both the victim’s guardian and her sister. According to the victim’s statement, Jones initially offered to pay her phone bill, but said she would need to have sex with him for the bill to be paid.
When investigators examined the phone Jones had given her, they found multiple Cash App transactions totaling roughly $200 over recent months, along with text messages showing Jones writing “U miss me” and “I miss me,” asking to meet up, and discussing having to reschedule when “his family came around.”
The messages also showed discussions about sex between the two.
Expressions of Love, Threats of Consequences
The victim told investigators that during their sexual relationship, Jones told her that he loved her and that he missed her. But underlying these expressions of affection was a constant threat: Jones controlled whether she successfully completed her probation requirements.
“She was fearful to stop having sexual intercourse because she didn’t want him to violate her probation,” the arrest affidavit states. “After she received her certificate from the program, she stopped having sex with him.”
Once the victim was no longer under Jones’ direct supervision, she was finally able to end the sexual relationship.
Post-Investigation Contact
Even after law enforcement became involved, Jones allegedly continued trying to control the situation. Following her forensic interview with investigators, the victim reported that Jones called her multiple times, asking what she had told law enforcement about their relationship.
Jones then made her meet with him in person, at which point he gave her $150 in cash. The victim thought the money was for her February birthday, but told investigators she didn’t know why he had paid her.
Investigators noted that after these in-person discussions, text message exchanges about “what the Victim told people” would transition to lengthy phone conversations – likely an attempt to avoid creating a written record.
Rick’s Blog will continue to follow this case and examine the broader issues of oversight and accountability for DJJ contractors and Escambia Children’s Trust grants.