A 33-year-old Jesup resident is sitting in a Nassau County jail after investigators say DNA tests tied him to two children born to the same Florida juvenile, in a case authorities say stretches back years.
Jesup resident John Andrew Jones was arrested this week and booked into the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center in Yulee. Deputies have charged him with child abuse and impregnating a child under the age of 16. Investigators say both children are his and that the alleged relationship began several years ago.
How Investigators Connected The Case
According to CBS News, detectives say the relationship began in 2020, and the victim later gave birth twice: once when she was 16 and again when she was 18. CBS News reported the investigation started after an assistant state attorney notified deputies in June 2024, and jail records show Jones is currently being held in Nassau County. Local law enforcement statements have backed up those broad outlines of the timeline.
Sheriff's Office Outlines Timeline On Facebook
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said investigators used the pregnancies' timeline to determine the victim was 15 and 17 when she became pregnant. The agency said that timeline points to sexual battery on a minor under Florida law.
According to the sheriff’s office, detectives, working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, obtained DNA from Jones and both children. The post states that, after those samples were tested, investigators secured warrants in the case. The sheriff’s office also noted that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement produced a lab report confirming Jones as the biological father.
DNA Testing And Multi-Agency Work
Local reporting by News4JAX says investigators collected DNA samples from Jones and both children in December 2025. The outlet reports that the FDLE lab report arrived on March 30, 2026, and that the findings were central to obtaining the warrants that led to Jones’s arrest. Officials have not released any information about bond or upcoming court dates.
Legal Implications Under Florida Law
Florida treats impregnating a child under 16 by someone 21 or older as an act of child abuse. Florida Statute 827.04(3), as published by the Florida Senate, classifies that conduct as a third-degree felony.
Sentencing rules in Section 775.082 on the Florida Senate website make third-degree felonies punishable by up to five years in prison along with possible fines. The statutes also make clear that a victim's consent is not a defense in these types of cases. Prosecutors are expected to weigh those statutes as the case moves toward formal charging decisions and any future courtroom filings.
What Comes Next
Jones remains booked at the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center in Yulee while the investigation continues. The sheriff’s office contact page lists the jail's address and non-emergency numbers for tips and inquiries. Authorities and local media have urged anyone with additional information to contact the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office or First Coast Crime Stoppers as prosecutors consider whether to file more charges and investigators keep reviewing evidence.
