Fort Pierce Police arrested James Ronald Owens, 58, of the 1600 block of Linwood Avenue on July 24 on charges of sexual battery on a child under 12, sexual battery on a victim ages 12 to 18, lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under 12, and lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim ages 12 to 16. Owens remained in the St. Lucie County Jail on no bond as of Thursday.
The victim, now in a mental health facility, told investigators that Owens, a family friend and tutor, started touching her inappropriately as early as June 2019 and had sexual encounters with her in various locations over the years. The victim said the last contact with Owens occurred in January 2005. She told investigators Owens had pictures of her on hard drives and that she had not reported the incidents because Owens was blackmailing her and had threatened to rape and kill her. She stated Owens had nude photographs of her on his computer, on a black hard drive he usually kept inside a shed, and on a white cell phone.
Other individuals, many of them juveniles, who investigators interviewed made similar allegations against Owens from various periods of time. Owens told investigators that the girl told him she was being molested by several men but he denied being one of the men and said he never thought the girl would make accusations against him.
Owens is a registered sexual offender following a 2009 sex-related case in St. Lucie County, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Fort Pierce Police and the U.S. Marshals Service made the arrest.