U.S. Marshals find Pennsylvania fugitive living in the woods in Naples

NAPLES, Fla. —

U.S. Marshals caught a Pennsylvania fugitive living in the woods in Naples on Wednesday.

According to a press release, Joseph Christopher Mazzoni, 46, had been wanted since March 9 by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office for dissemination of child sex acts and sexual abuse material.

The release said that Mazzoni is a twice-convicted sex offender who was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Mazzoni was required to register as a Tier 3 Sex Offender under Megan's Law.

Marshals believed Mazzoni was living in Florida and receiving assistance to avoid detection from law enforcement.

A search warrant was executed on Wednesday morning in the 2300 block of Crawford Avenue in Naples, as Marshals believed Mazzoni was residing on the property.

After a thorough search, Marshals found Mazzoni living in the woods behind the home, the release said. He was taken to the Collier County Jail, where he awaits extradition back to Pennsylvania.

“The U.S. Marshals Service has zero tolerance for sexual predators preying on children; as Mr. Mazzoni learned, going entirely off of the grid in a different state offers no respite from the relentless pursuit of justice," Eric Gartner, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said.

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