Lake City, FL – A 24-year-old Middleburg man was arrested Thursday afternoon after driving to Lake City with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a child he believed to be 14 years old, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Luke Robert Qualls of Middleburg, FL, was taken into custody around midday on March 12, 2026, following a felony traffic stop as his vehicle entered Columbia County from Union County.
For approximately one week prior, Qualls had been communicating via social media with a specially trained detective from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing undercover as a 14-year-old girl. During those exchanges, Qualls expressed clear interest in traveling to have sex with the minor, sent pornographic images, and was repeatedly made aware of the “child’s” stated age.
Based on his statements, explicit intent to travel, and crimes already committed during the conversations, detectives obtained an arrest warrant. When Qualls arrived at the prearranged location, deputies conducted a traffic stop and took him into custody without incident.
Qualls was transported to the Columbia County Detention Facility and booked with a $125,000 bond. He faces the following felony charges:
- Travel to meet after using a computer to lure a child (F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(a))
- Transmit obscene material to minor (F.S.S. 847.0133(1))
- Use 2-way communication device to facilitate a felony (F.S.S. 934.215)
- Transmit info harmful to minors (F.S.S. 847.0138(2))
- Use computer to seduce/lure child (F.S.S. 847.0135(3)(a))
“The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to preventing the solicitation of minors in our community and beyond,” officials stated. “We have recently seen two local adults arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material, and now two out-of-county adults have attempted to travel here to have sex with 14-year-old children.”
Authorities urged parents and guardians to actively monitor their children’s social media and device usage, especially accounts that may not be known to adults, and to report any suspicious online contact immediately.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked partnering agencies and emphasized community vigilance in keeping children safe from online predators.
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