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JONESVILLE – A 71-year-old Jonesville resident was arrested July 28, 2025, on 18 felony charges after an investigation led authorities to uncover nearly 60,000 files of child sexual abuse material at his home, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

The case originated on Nov. 9, 2024, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip reporting that an image depicting child sexual exploitation had been uploaded to a reverse image search tool. The image showed a young boy, estimated to be between 6 and 8 years old, in a sexually explicit context with an older girl.

A subpoena issued by the Gainesville Police Department to Cox Communications later linked the upload to an IP address registered to Gerald Roy Morris, who resides in the Jonesville area west of Gainesville. The case was subsequently transferred to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies executed a search warrant at Morris’s residence on June 11. According to the report, Morris acknowledged awareness of the image search platform but denied using it or possessing any illegal content. He also said he had no visitors on the day the image was uploaded and indicated that neighbors would not have had access to his internet connection.

Investigators reported that a forensic review of a computer used by Morris uncovered 50,510 files containing child sexual abuse material, including 384 videos. The files primarily featured prepubescent females, ranging from infants to children around 10 years old. Officials noted the materials included depictions of severe abuse, with some files showing graphic acts involving very young children.

In addition to the digital content found on the computer, 19 discs labeled as blank and located on Morris’s desk reportedly contained another 9,240 illegal files, bringing the total to 59,750.

Authorities said Morris had viewed some of the content as recently as the day before the warrant was executed.

An arrest warrant was issued on July 24 by Judge James Colaw. Morris surrendered to authorities at the Alachua County Jail on July 28.

He is charged with one count of transmission of child pornography and 17 counts of possession. Bail was set at $1.8 million, the amount specified in the warrant. Judge Meshon Rawls upheld that amount at the time of booking.

Morris’s attorney has filed a motion to reduce bail, citing his client's age, reported medical issues, and long-term residency in the Jonesville community. The motion states that Morris, a retired general contractor, intends to remain in the area and attend all scheduled court proceedings.

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Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

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