Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford has announced an arrest of a Bay County man for soliciting a minor for sexual activity online. In August, investigators received a lead from the FBI that James Champion had been conversing with a person online he believed he was a child.

Sheriff Ford says Champion made it clear that wished to have a sexual relationship with the online “child”. He allegedly cautioned that the relationship should remain a secret between himself and the “child”.

BCSO investigators and FBI agents carried out a search warrant on Champion’s residence on September 4, 2024. Electronic devices were reportedly found to contain evidence of multiple online chats and chat applications.

48-year-old James Champion was arrested for Soliciting a Minor Online for Sexual Activity and Failure to Register a Social Media Account as a Sexual Offender.