JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 41-year-old Jacksonville resident has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possession of child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard handed down the sentence to Alexander Charles Whitaker, who pleaded guilty to the charge on May 8, 2026.
At the time of the offense, Whitaker was serving probation following a Florida state prison sentence for possession of child pornography. Because Whitaker is classified as a sexually violent predator under Florida law, he will be committed to a security facility once he finishes his federal prison term.
The investigation began when law enforcement officers received a cybertip indicating a Jacksonville social media user had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the social media account and confirmed it belonged to Whitaker.
A subsequent search of his Facebook account led to a search warrant for Whitaker’s home, where officers seized a cellphone containing more than 100 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the initiative coordinates federal, state and local resources to locate, arrest and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
Upon completing his 10-year federal prison sentence, Whitaker will be transferred to a security facility under Florida law for control, care and treatment as a classified sexually violent predator.
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