Trenton man arrested for molesting a child months after release from prison on similar charges

TRENTON, Fla. (WCJB) - A registered sex offender was arrested after the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office received a report that he’d sexually abused another child.

On Friday, sheriff’s deputies arrested Travis Wade Mathis, 36, of Trenton, a registered sex offender, for lewd or lascivious molestation on a person under the age of 12.

The investigation began last Wednesday when a 911 caller reported a possible sexual battery that occurred the same day.

Two days later, Mathis was taken into custody on a warrant during a traffic stop in the area of County Road 232 and 337. Deputies say he admitted to the crime during an interview with detectives.

Mathis was released from prison in August 2025 after serving 7 years on the charge of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12.

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