A young man on lifetime probation following his 2018 conviction of four felonies involving sexual misconduct with a teenaged minor faces several years in prison after being accused by his probation officer of a serious new criminal offense and other violations.
Jaylon Lamont Sanford was named last month as the subject of a petition to revoke probation which alleges he was in possession of a firearm as a felon, accessed the internet without approval, and possessed alcohol. He is scheduled to appear in Cochise County Superior Court on March 1 for arraignment on the revocation petition.
Sanford, 22, is already familiar with the revocation process. In April 2019, he was ordered to serve one year in prison after being revoked from probation on one of his four 2018 convictions. After Sanford’s release from prison in January 2020, he was reinstated to lifetime probation for the other three convictions. He was also ordered to have no unapproved contact with the victim.
Court records show Sanford was served the current petition to revoke probation on Jan. 7 at the Pima County Jail along with a no-bond nationwide warrant. It is unclear why he was in custody at the time, but Sanford was transferred on Feb. 12 to the Cochise County Jail where he remains on a standard COVID-19 quarantine.
Prosecution of Sanford’s initial case was delayed in 2018 after the victim’s mother objected to the probation-only plea deal offered by the Cochise County Attorney’s Office. After several weeks, the plea deal was accepted by the court and Sanford was placed on probation.
The new violation allegations could lead to revocation of probation on one or more of the three sex offenses, each which can result in a lengthy prison sentence.
But Sanford also faces additional time in prison if prosecuted for possession of a firearm while being a prohibited possessor, as Class 4 felony.
