Registered Sex Offender Arrested on UF Campus

On October 1, University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) officers arrested John Jason Duthill, 55, and charged him with resisting an officer without violence, providing false information, fleeing police and four charges relating to drugs. 

In 2003, Duthill was designated as a sexual offender following a conviction for lewd/lascivious battery against a victim between the age of 12 and 15. His address is registered to Grace Marketplace homeless shelter but he is identified as "transient” on the Florida Sex Offender Registry.    

Just after 3:00 a.m., Officer Peyton Boone was driving his patrol vehicle when he observed three individuals he reported were riding bikes with no lights. He initiated a traffic stop on the cyclists. 

“I advised all individuals that they were not free to go until I identified everyone. I identified both of the other [individuals] involved and let them go with a warning.” 

One of the cyclists, who was later identified as Duthill, reportedly said he did not have a driver’s license and identified himself with a different name. He reportedly pedaled away while ignoring commands to stop. 

According to the arrest report, "Multiple officers initiated a perimeter search in attempting to locate [Duthill] while UFPD communications was attempting to locate [him] through security cameras. Multiple officers saw [Duthill] and began to make contact with him on the NE side of garage 4… Eventually [Duthill] was cornered and an officer deployed their taser after [he] continued to refuse lawful commands and advanced towards her. At that point he was detained in department issued handcuffs.”

Officers reportedly found Duthill in possession of multiple glass pipes, a THC pen, a gram of cannabis and roughly six grams of cocaine. 

At the time, Duthill had an active warrant for a misdemeanor trespassing charge. 

The arrest report states Duthill “was transported by EMS at his request after being evaluated from taser deployment.” Duthill reportedly made a "spontaneous utterance to medical staff stating that he had done cocaine 30 [minutes] prior to his arrival in the Emergency Room.”     

Judge Meshon Rawls set Duthill’s bond at $60,000. He currently remains in jail. 

Duthill has been to Florida prison ten times between the early 90s and 2021.

Editor’s Notes: The Florida Sex Offender registry and the Florida Department of Corrections website indicate that Duthill was convicted of lewd/lascivious battery in 2012; however, court records indicate this stems from probation violation rather than a new case.