COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — A convicted felon from Fort White is back behind bars without bond after allegedly trying to lure a minor online while released on bond for child sexual abuse material charges, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
James Martin Alden, 66, was arrested on September 17 on an Alachua County warrant and is currently being held on no bond in the Columbia County Detention Facility, a news release from CCSO said.
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Authorities said the secondary arrest came after an undercover detective with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office caught Alden communicating with what he believed was a minor in their jurisdiction.
Investigators said Alden sent obscene material and planned to meet the suspected child for sex, prompting an Alachua County judge to issue an arrest warrant with no bond.
The initial investigation by CCSO and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began in May after detectives received information that Alden was distributing child sexual abuse material on social media. CCSO said detectives confirmed the distribution through images and text messages, establishing probable cause for arrest and search warrants.
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Deputies executed search and arrest warrants at Alden’s home on August 31, where he admitted to the explicit images during an interview, CCSO said. During the search, investigators located electronic devices, firearms and ammunition.
Because Alden is a convicted felon, deputies charged him with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, along with resisting law enforcement after police said he resisted during his arrest.
Alden was initially booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility on a $150,000 bond for the Aug. 31 arrest, which he later posted.
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While Alden was out on bond, ACSO detectives contacted Columbia County authorities to notify them of their parallel undercover investigation into his online communications.
Following his rearrest on Sept. 17, a search of Alden’s cell phone uncovered the original illicit image alongside more than 10 images depicting child sexual abuse and animal sex activity, CCSO said.
Authorities said Alden will face additional charges for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as possession of media depicting sexual activity between humans and animals.
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