Lake City detectives say a days-long Internet Crimes Against Children operation came to a head Tuesday, ending with four men in cuffs after they allegedly tried to exploit minors online. Undercover officers used online ads and fake accounts posing as teenage girls, then watched as suspects reportedly launched into sexual conversations and, in some cases, arranged meetings with people they believed were children. Police say the arrests are part of a continuing push to knock out online predator activity in Columbia County and surrounding areas.
According to News4JAX, the men arrested were identified as James Michael Diehl, 62, of Fort White; Alan Wayne Price, 39, of Lake City; Albert David Moore, 67, of Live Oak; and Thomas J. Fortune, 40, of Jacksonville. Detectives say they tracked and took each of the four into custody as the undercover operation progressed.
The Lake City Police Department has run similar ICAC stings before, using tactics such as posting online ads and posing as underage teens to draw out adults seeking sexual contact, according to a department news release. The agency credited the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for their help with the latest operation and said investigators are still combing through phones and other digital evidence. Officials stressed that the case is far from closed and warned that more charges and additional arrests could follow, per the department release.
The charges on the table include using electronic communication devices to facilitate unlawful sexual conduct involving minors, transmitting harmful material to minors and various solicitation counts. Some of the men also face accusations of traveling to meet a child after using a computer to lure one, News4JAX reported. Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler underscored that operations like this are a key piece of the department’s efforts to shield children from online predators. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lake City Police Department at (386) 752-4343, the anonymous LCPD tips line at (386) 719-2068, or Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at (386) 754-7099.
How stings work and why investigators say they’re needed
In a typical ICAC sting, investigators create decoy social media profiles or online ads and then document explicit chats and attempts to set up in-person meetups as evidence of criminal intent. Arrests usually come once suspects send sexual material or travel to what they think is a meeting with a minor. Law enforcement agencies across Florida and across the country use these coordinated tactics as part of larger task force efforts to catch people who target children online. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center logged more than 859,000 complaints and about $16.6 billion in reported losses in its 2024 annual report, a snapshot federal officials say shows just how much crime now plays out on screens.
Legal note
Florida law makes it a crime to use a computer to “seduce, solicit, lure, or entice” a child and labels traveling to meet a minor after online contact as a felony, as laid out in Florida Statutes 847.0135. Sending material considered harmful to minors by electronic means is also illegal and carries felony penalties under Florida Statutes 847.0138.
The investigation remains active, and Columbia County detectives say more charges or additional arrests may still be coming. Anyone who thinks they may have information tied to this case can use the Lake City Police Department contacts listed above or file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org.
