Stuart man arrested again, faces 40 counts of child pornography possession

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Stuart man is facing dozens of felony charges after being taken into custody for a second time in a matter of weeks.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced that Joseph Scott Mayes, 50, was arrested Wednesday in Loxahatchee on 40 counts of possession of child sex abuse material after an ongoing investigation by the agency’s Special Victims Unit.

The sheriff’s office said the case originated from a tip received through the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Detectives began tracking Mayes in May after learning he had allegedly sent money to a teenager in exchange for explicit images. He was arrested at that time in connection with those allegations.

After the initial arrest, investigators said they continued to examine digital evidence. During that process, detectives reported discovering multiple illicit images stored on Mayes’ phone, leading to additional charges.

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On Wednesday, members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, along with detectives from the MCSO Criminal Investigations Division, served an arrest warrant at a home in Loxahatchee, where Mayes was located. Officials said he was taken into custody without incident.

Mayes was transported to the Martin County Jail, where he is being held on 40 counts of possession of child pornography.

The sheriff’s office credited the arrest to the continued work of its Special Victims Unit and ICAC investigators, noting their ongoing efforts to identify and apprehend individuals accused of exploiting children.

The investigation remains ongoing.