- October 14, 2024
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A 30-year-old Mondex man downloaded child pornography and tried to buy a child to abuse, according to Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies.
Joseph E. Blackwell was arrested Nov. 4 on 20 counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child and one count of soliciting a custodian of a child for unlawful sexual conduct, according to an FCSO news release.
“He wanted to find a little girl to victimize with his sick fantasies," Sheriff Rick Staly said. "Fortunately, we got a tip on this guy and our detectives took it from there."
Deputies had searched Blackwell's home Jan. 19 after receiving an alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Investigators found devices with sex abuse material, and Detective Dennis Lashbrook found emails from Blackwell asking to buy a child.
"Jake told me you sold little kid girls into sex," Blackwell had written to an unidentified individual, according to an arrest report. "Are you going to send me the goods."
Blackwell and the individual exchanged photos of children and Blackwell selected one girl and wrote that he wanted to buy her. There was no evidence that the individual had custody over the girl.
Blackwell admitted during questioning that he had viewed sexual abuse material and tried to find a child to sexually abuse, according to the report.
Blackwell is being held in jail on a $1,050,000 bond.
