LCSO arrests man following child porn investigation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The Leon County Sheriff’s Office said it arrested a man following a child pornography possession investigation.

James Bates, 50, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) executed a search warrant at a residence in the 8200 block of Little Terry Circle.

The investigation was initiated when LCSO received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), indicating an account holder of an online data storage company uploaded several images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to their account.

Detectives seized several electronic devices from Bates’ residence as part of the search warrant. Bates was arrested and transported to the Leon County Detention Facility.

He was charged with 20 counts of Aggravated Possession of Child Pornography.

The investigation is still active, and anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Leon County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 606-3300.