BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 45-year-old Karl Davis Staton from Lawtey on multiple charges related to child exploitation, including three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
FDLE said the arrest is part of its ongoing initiative to identify and apprehend individuals targeting children and distributing files that depict their sexual abuse.
The investigation into Staton began in September when FDLE agents received several cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips indicated that an individual was uploading and sharing digital files of child sexual abuse via an online storage account.
Further investigation led agents to identify Staton as the account owner. A search warrant executed on the online storage account revealed video files showing the sexual abuse of children, with some victims depicted in the files being as young as 6 years old.
On Nov. 24, agents apprehended Staton at his workplace without incident. He was subsequently taken to the Duval County Jail and later extradited to the Bradford County Jail. Authorities indicate that additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
The prosecution of the case is being handled by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, led by Attorney General James Uthmeier in Jacksonville.
The investigation into Staton’s activities remains active.
