FDLE agents, with the assistance of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the North Florida Internet Crime Against Children Task Force, today arrested James Allen Harper, 45, of Pace, on one count of transmission and 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
In May of 2021, an investigation began into a target who was sharing child sexual abuse material on a peer to peer network. Today FDLE, along with the FBI, HSI and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant at Harper’s residence. Agents found that Harper downloaded and possessed several videos and images of child sexual abuse material, many featuring toddlers and some featuring infants.
Harper was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on no bond. Additional charges are dependent upon completion of forensics exams. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit.
Please visit the FDLE website to review tips for keeping your children safe online at: https://www.secureflorida.org/SF/Family-Safety/BPParents.
