Man arrested at Lake City motel, charged with possession of child porn

Lake City, Fla. — Detectives with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office say a registered sex offender is facing multiple child porn charges following an arrest at a Lake City motel Wednesday.

In a release, the CCSO say they first received information in the spring of 2020 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about possible child pornography on electronic devices.

Detectives with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force later identified Paul Futch, 48, as a suspect, and say Futch knowingly failed to legally register as a sex offender.

On Wednesday, Futch was arrested after detectives served a search warrant at the Roadway Inn in Lake City. He faces 5 counts of sex offender registration violations, 3 counts of possessing child pornography, and 3 counts of transmitting child pornography.

Detectives say more charges are possible.

Futch is being held with no bond at the Columbia County Detention Facility.

Cox Media Group