FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Fort Pierce City Commissioner James Taylor, 38, was arrested Thursday morning following a lengthy multistate investigation into internet crimes against children.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office announced Taylor’s arrest, executing court-authorized search warrants at two Fort Pierce locations as part of the operation.
The case originated in Illinois in August 2024, when authorities received a report from the mother of a 13-year-old girl. The mother alleged that her daughter, who was 12 when communications began, was contacted by a man via Snapchat. Over time, the conversations reportedly turned sexually explicit, and the suspect allegedly sent multiple nude images to the minor.
Illinois detectives traced the suspect’s online activity to St. Lucie County, Florida. In May 2025, they coordinated with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, which confirmed the suspect’s identity as James Taylor and collected evidence sufficient for felony charges.
Taylor now faces 24 felony counts, including:
Six counts each of transmission of harmful materials to minors via electronic devices
Transfer or display of obscenity to a minor
Harmful communication to a minor
Lewd computer solicitation
Four counts of lewd computer solicitation of a child
Two counts of solicitation of transmission of child pornography by electronic device
Taylor is held in St. Lucie County Jail on a $250,000 bond, awaiting his first court appearance.
The City of Fort Pierce released a statement acknowledging the arrest:
“We understand this development raises concerns and reaffirm our commitment to integrity and transparency. City functions will continue without disruption. Due to the active investigation, no further comment will be made at this time.”
