83-year-old man faces new child molestation charges

OAKLEAF – An 83-year-old man awaiting a trial for lewd and lascivious behavior and sexual battery of girls as young as 5 in 2023 now faces two additional charges for sexually abusing two girls, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Armando Amelis, of Oakleaf, had been accused of inappropriately touching, groping and sexually abusing girls at his home while they were visiting, according to two separate arrest reports filed in 2023.

CCSO arrested Amelis on Friday, April 24, after the agency obtained an affidavit for an arrest warrant.

He was awaiting trial for three other counts of inappropriate child sexual conduct. Amelis will remain in the Clay County Jail without bond. His next court appearance was scheduled for May 26.

 GCSPD, CCSO work to arrest man for two counts of child molestation

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Acting on information provided by the Green Cove Springs Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 35-year-old man on Friday, April 24, on two counts of molestation of children, possibly as far back as 2021.

Nicholas Andrew Cline, of Green Cove Springs, was arrested after the GCSPD transferred a report about the accusations on April 22. Cline was booked into the Clay County Jail two days later.

According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, the reported molestation happened between 2021 and 2026.

Cline’s bond was set at $100,003.

Unruly man accused of trafficking meth, threatening fight with CCSO

ORANGE PARK – An unruly man from Puerto Rico was arrested on Monday, April 20, after he squared up in a fighting position against a Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy, and that led to the discovery of cocaine, fentanyl and trafficking methamphetamine charges.

Angel Rubens Azocar Rios, 22, was also charged with assaulting the deputy, resisting arrest and possessing drug paraphernalia after CCSO was called to a gas station after Azocar Rios refused to leave, the agency reported.

After he was asked to leave the property by one deputy, he walked up and was less than a foot away from another deputy with fists clinched and crouched in the fighting position.

A second deputy tackled him before a punch was thrown, and during the search of his property, deputies uncovered the drugs. In Florida, the possession of 14 or more grams of methamphetamine increases the charge to trafficking.

After arriving at the Clay County Jail, Azocar Rios was taken to HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital after he started banging his head against a concrete wall.

Once he was returned to jail, his bond was set at $560,009.

CCSO: Someone reported seeing man watching child porn 

ORANGE PARK – A man was arrested on Monday, April 27, after someone reported seeing him watching a video of a boy being sexually compromised, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office reported. 

According to a heavily redacted arrest report, Robert Michael Boyle, 35, of Orange Park, was charged with three counts of possessing, controlling or viewing child pornography after deputies found videos downloaded to a Dropbox account on his cellphone. According to the arrest report, deputies asked Boyle if he knew the age of the boy depicted in one of the videos. 

His bond was set at $151,509. 

Before Jonathan Michael Strickland, 40, of Middleburg, was pulled over, the deputy also learned the tag wasn’t assigned to the car, which caused the deputy to become suspicious. K-9 Mak then completed an exterior sniff of the car and alerted deputies of the likely presence of illegal narcotics inside the vehicle. 

A search uncovered the drug, a pipe, a straw and a shotgun that was modified from 24 inches to 18. 

His bond was set at $58,508. 

Victim in burned car identified; CCSO still looking for tips

 MIDDLEBURG – The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man found inside the burned vehicle found on Monday, April 6, as Reginald Eldrige Gantt of Jacksonville.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue responded to a vehicle fire at County Road 218 and N. Mimosa Ave. near Kelly’s Country Kitchen and Russell’s Feed and Farm Supply. They found Gantt’s body inside the car, but they needed 16 days for the medical examiner to identify him. It was also determined that he was the victim of a homicide.

CCSO said Gantt’s white Lexus SUV was apparently parked at the scene since the morning of April 5; however, the fire didn’t start until the next afternoon.

This is still an active and ongoing investigation. If anyone has video surveillance during those time frames or has any information about this event, they are encouraged to call the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512 and ask for Det. Nicole Mosley. You can also remain anonymous by calling First Coast Crime Stoppers by dialing (866) 845-TIPS (8477) or submitting a tip through the SaferWatch app.