Fort Walton Beach Sex Offender Arrested for Illegal Porn Possession

In Brief:

🚨 Registered sex offender arrested in Fort Walton Beach during child exploitation investigation
🖥️ Search warrant reveals child pornography and unregistered online identifiers
🤝 Multi-agency operation included OCSO, HSI, FDLE, and Walton County ICAC

FORT WALTON BEACH — Members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested a 24-year-old Fort Walton Beach man Wednesday following a multi-agency investigation into child exploitation.

Talben Francis was taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at a home located at 2908 Bentwood Lane in Fort Walton Beach. Investigators say Francis is a registered sex offender.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Francis faces charges of possession of child pornography, failure to register internet identifiers as a sex offender, and violation of felony probation.

The investigation was conducted in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office ICAC Unit.

Francis remains in custody at the Okaloosa County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon.

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