Ottawa man arrested in Nashville on child-sex charges
Alexander Towns, 44, was arrested after a month-long FBI sting involving online communication about sexual acts with a minor.
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A 44-year-old Ottawa man has been arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, following a month-long sting operation into alleged attempted child sexual exploitation.
According to an FBI release, Alexander Towns used an online messaging app to communicate with an undercover officer between May 6 and June 15 regarding "intention of engaging in sexual acts with a purported minor child." The officer was posing as the mother of a preteen girl.
Towns travelled from Ottawa to Nashville on June 15, where he was arrested. He is charged with distribution of child pornography and attempted online enticement of a minor.
The FBI noted that "a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law." If convicted, Towns faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.