Nathan Keyes has been accused of creating and sharing images of commissioners Ann Taylor and Krista Joseph that depict weapons going through their heads and blood on their faces.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A 45-year-old man is facing charges after police say he posted threatening images of two St. Johns County commissioners.
Nathan Keyes was arrested Thursday, Oct. 9 on charges of corruption by threat of harm against a public servant and tampering with evidence.
The arrest report details that Keyes is accused of sharing these violent images of the commissioners, portraying harm to public servants.
“The social media post, when reviewed by another individual, is interpreted as a threat to cause bodily harm to another person, both of whom hold public office,” reads Keyes’ arrest report.
When deputies visited Keyes’ residence on Oct. 9 to inquire about the post, Keyes reportedly stated that he would never harm anyone and found the post to be trivial.
“Political rhetoric is an ever-present factor. It has always been part of the landscape,” noted FCN Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman. “However, the accompanying violence is becoming increasingly frequent, more palpable, and often executed.”
The report indicates that Keyes didn’t explicitly confess to sharing the threat. He continually emphasized his lack of harmful intent and reassured authorities that he wouldn’t engage in posting contentious content.
While deputies were walking up to Keyes’ home to execute a search warrant on his phone, the report says Keyes ran out the back of his home, but returned shortly after. Keyes’ phone was reportedly discovered hidden underneath a piece of wood in his backyard while executing the search warrant.
Baughman said investigations like this take time because law enforcement must distinguish between online rhetoric and credible threats.
“There’s a lot of sweat equity done in these investigations; it’s not done overnight,” Baughman said. “But they want to make sure that if they do have a prosecutable case, they can convict him. If he gets any real time incarcerated, it may give a pause to others from doing this in the future.”
Court records show Keyes was arraigned on his charges on Oct. 10.
