A 30-year-old man out on bond for child sex charges is facing new charges including second-degree rape and production of child sexual abuse material.
Jalan Christopher Lewis was arrested on multiple charges Monday morning by the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force.
He is charged with two counts of second-degree rape, traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act, facilitating the travel of a minor for an unlawful sex act, production of child sexual abuse material and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
In August, Lewis was among eight men arrested during a task force operation focused on adults using social media platforms to arrange sexual encounters with minors.
The suspects were arrested after engaging in conversations with an undercover officer posing as a teenage girl.
Following that investigation, Lewis was charged with traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act and electronic solicitation of a child.
He was indicted by a grand jury in November, with his cases now pending in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.
During an unrelated recent investigation, task force investigators discovered Lewis had solicited a minor via social media and met with her for sex on multiple occasions while he was out on bond.
“These cases demonstrate why our proactive investigations are so important,” Task Force Commander Capt. Phil Simpson said. “This case confirms what we’ve long known: suspects caught in undercover operations are often seeking real victims in our community.”
Lewis is now being held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond.
