Alachua Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

ALACHUA ‒ A 34-year-old man, Jonathan Ellis O’Steen, was arrested on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, following a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation into a CyberTip about child sexual abuse material. The arrest came after nearly a year of investigation into online accounts linked to O’Steen, culminating in multiple charges and a significant bond.

The investigation began on Jan. 8, 2024, when an FDLE Special Agent received a CyberTip regarding child sexual abuse material on a Kik account. That same day, the agent issued a subpoena to Google for information about the email address linked to the Kik account.

According to the FDLE, Google’s response included Google Pay transactions in O’Steen’s name and a phone number that had been associated with him since 2016. Additionally, a search warrant for the Google account revealed internet searches for pedophilic content, along with several images related to child exploitation. Authorities also reportedly found images of O’Steen’s driver’s license and Social Security card within the account and three more child sexual abuse images were reportedly found in the Google account.

Further investigation into the Google account led agents to a Yahoo email account serving as the recovery email. Subpoenaed records from Yahoo confirmed O’Steen’s name and linked another phone number to the account.

IP addresses tied to both the Yahoo and Google accounts provided critical evidence. One IP address associated with the CyberTip and Yahoo account was traced to a Windstream subscriber in Alachua, while another IP address linked to the Google account belonged to a nearby subscriber. Records revealed that O’Steen had reportedly updated his driver’s license to reflect an address near the two subscribers in September 2024.

Search warrants for the suspect Kik account uncovered six images, some depicting juveniles engaged in sexual activity, according to the affidavit. Meanwhile, the Yahoo email account produced an email attachment showing an image of O’Steen’s Florida driver’s license, further connecting him to the investigation.

Based on the FDLE’s findings, Judge James Colaw issued a warrant for O’Steen’s arrest on Dec. 5, 2024. O’Steen was taken into custody by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 9. The case is being prosecuted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

O’Steen now faces seven counts of possession of child pornography and one count of using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony. Notably, he has no prior local criminal history.

O’Steen’s bail set at $1.1 million.

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alachuatoday.com

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