ORLANDO, Fla. – An 80-year-old Florida man and mall Santa Claus has been sentenced to federal prison for receipt and possession of hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
James Edward Cox, Jr., of St. Cloud was sentenced to eight years and one month. Cox plead guilty on Aug. 14, 2024.
“Actively scouring the dark web to find and collect sexual abuse content of children perpetuates the suffering of innocent victims around the world,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This sentencing reflects the gravity of this predator’s crimes, as well as HSI’s commitment to shedding a light on the dark web to protect children from harm.”
According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2024, officers from the St. Cloud Police Department conducted a search of Cox’s home. Images discovered during the examination of devices at Cox’s home led to a subsequent search warrant and arrest of Cox on March 5, 2024. Hundreds of images and multiple videos on one of the devices located at that residence was determined to be used by Cox. Those images and videos showed sexual abuse of infant and young girls, including one that had been uploaded by Cox to a website in his effort to look for similar materials. Cox later characterized his conduct in a recorded and monitored jail call as looking for “little girls.”
This case was investigated by HSI Orlando, with assistance from the St. Cloud Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana E. Hill.
HSI Tampa area of responsibility, which includes ten geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the ten largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.
To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material contact the HSI Tip Line at 1-877-4HSI TIP, or report it through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.