The man who led Evan McMullin’s 2016 presidential interference campaign is now in prison for allegedly soliciting sex from a 15-year-old boy on Snapchat.
At approximately 11 a.m. last Wednesday, Joel Surby (43), a charter school advocate from Newberry, Florida (about 20 miles west of Gainesville), allegedly sent a friend request on Snapchat to a 15-year-old boy who already had Surby’s phone number saved in his phone. During the Snapchat conversation, Surby allegedly confided to the boy that when he was in high school, he had a “secret crush” on a man in his 40s.
“I woke up one morning with a strong conviction that I had to do something about the presidential election, and that Donald Trump was likely to be the Republican nominee.”
“We eventually got a chance to be alone and he tried to kiss me which I loved. We then did loads of stuff as secretly as possible. He taught me loads of stuff. It was fun…no regrets lol. What do you think?” Surby reportedly wrote.
“Would you do something like that?”
When the boy said he would consider it, Surby continued the conversation, but repeatedly asked him to keep their relationship a secret. Complaint Allegedly:
The condition is, before I show up and agree to it, I need to know you’ll keep it a secret. Forever. Just like my high school boyfriend did. We’ve been together since freshman year, secretly, having fun all the time. Without anyone knowing. But [we] If anyone found out, we could both be in trouble, especially me. And no one knows.
According to the arrest report, Surby also sent photos of a “bulge in his underwear,” as well as pictures of him in the shower and wearing only his boxer shorts. Alachua Chronicle According to reports, Surby then devised a scheme to allow the boy to meet his parents at his guesthouse without arousing their suspicions.
Eventually, an officer from the Alachua Sheriff’s Office began communicating with Surby on Snapchat on the boy’s behalf. “We were talking about[the manual stimulation]yesterday, and [sic] “What will we do?” wrote an officer posing as a boy.
“I would love to do more, but let’s take it one step at a time. If I start doing something you don’t want to do, you can stop and I’ll show you the steps,” Surby reportedly replied.
As previously arranged, Surby reportedly texted the boy inviting him to help with yard work, giving the boy a plausible excuse for visiting him. The fact that Surby sent messages to the boy’s phone “cemented the belief that the defendant was the person who sent the Snapchat messages to the victim,” the arrest report states.
On Thursday, the day after the Snapchat exchanges allegedly began, Serby was arrested and charged with lewd conduct, use of a computer to solicit a minor, soliciting a minor to travel and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. He is being held without bail. The judge may reconsider Bail will be assessed at a separate hearing.
Surby reportedly told investigators he wanted to remain silent and asked if his wife had been informed of the allegations. The couple are believed to have several children.
Searby also serves on the Newberry City School Board, which recently helped convert three of the city’s public schools into charter schools. The board released a statement after Searby’s arrest, saying it was “deeply troubled” by the allegations. “Upon learning of this incident, we immediately severed all ties with him,” the statement continued. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and will provide any assistance we can during this difficult time. The safety of our children is and will remain our number one priority.”
Eight years ago, Searby helped Evan McMullin launch his independent presidential campaign. Blocking President Trump“It all started in February 2016, when I woke up one morning with a strong conviction that I had to do something about the presidential election, and that Donald Trump was likely to be the Republican nominee,” Saab said. Written in November 2016This comes just two weeks after Trump’s election victory.
“That morning in February, I didn’t understand why I was doing it or what exactly I had to do, but I felt a strong conviction that I had to take action.”
That summer, Searby aligned himself with other Republicans who were similarly staunchly opposed to then-candidate for president Donald Trump, such as Rick Wilson. McMullin eventually put himself forward as a possible candidate to thwart Trump, and Searby, after pondering the idea for a few hours, agreed. “I told him I was with him all the way,” Searby said.
Wilson mentioned Sarby. Tweet About five months after Trump took office, he described Saab as a “friend” and a “man with courage and heart.”
Neither Wilson nor McMullin responded to Blaze News’ requests for comment.
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