Newberry Education First board member arrested for soliciting sex with a minor

Thursday brought the arrest of Joel Searby, a Newberry Education First board member and former Greenhouse Church lay preacher, on suspicion of soliciting sex from a minor.

Searby initiated conversation with the 15-year-old boy through Snapchat June 19 and sent a detailed description of sexual encounters Searby had with older adults when he was around the same age as the boy. 

Searby solicited him for sex and sent revealing pictures with his face obscured, including one showing his hand inside of his pants to “develop trust.” The minor did not send pictures in return, according to the arrest report.

Before the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of the conversation, Searby planned to meet the 15-year-old Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. beside his house, according to the arrest report.

Searby was arrested June 20 on charges of lewd conduct, use of a computer to solicit a minor, luring a minor to travel and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Brandy Oldman, a Save Our Schools Newberry member, said that she, as a mother of four, was “deeply saddened for all the victims and the families and disgusted that this kind of person could have very well been put in charge of our children.”

Newberry Education First was an initiative to convert three Alachua County public schools into charter schools, which failed. Save Our Schools was formed as a counter-initiative aimed to encourage votes against charter school conversion.

Searby also led a boys basketball camp at Oak View Middle School from June 10 to June 13, according to a sign-up sheet posted on Facebook.

Oldman said Searby had always given her an “off” feeling.

“I think this goes deeper than this, and I hope that he sings on whoever else is involved if there is anybody else involved,” Oldman said.

Contact Lee Ann Anderson at landerson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @LeeAnnJOU.

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