Fort Pierce Commissioner Arrested on 24 Child Exploitation Felony Charges

Fort Pierce City Commissioner James Taylor, 38, was arrested and charged with 24 felony counts related to child exploitation, including sending materials harmful to minors and solicitation of child pornography. The investigation began in August 2024 after an Illinois police department received a complaint from the mother of a 13-year-old girl who had been contacted by Taylor when she was 12 via Snapchat, leading to explicit conversations and the exchange of nude images. Illinois detectives traced Taylor's online activity to St. Lucie County, prompting a joint investigation with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. Search warrants were executed at two Fort Pierce locations before Taylor was taken into custody, with bail set at $250,000. Taylor, elected in 2024, faces charges including transmission of harmful materials to minors, obscenity, and lewd solicitation. Authorities are urging anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to assist in the ongoing investigation.