Lewis County Man Arrested

(Kirksville, MO) – On October 2, 2018 at approximately 1500 hours the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Kirksville Regional Computer Crimes Unit (KRCCU) arrested James Starr (Age:28) near the city park in La Belle, Mo. Starr had arranged to meet a female he thought was 13 years old to engage in sexual contact.

In July the KRCCU began an undercover investigation of Starr’s social media profiles after it received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A social media website reported to NCMEC possible illegal activity by a profile that was traced back to Starr.

An Adair County arrest warrant was issued for Starr in reference to this investigation for Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child which held a $5000 cash only bond. Subsequently a Lewis County search warrant was issued for Starr’s residence in La Belle. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the KRCCU, and the Northeast Missouri Narcotics Task Force executed the search. Several computer related items were seized and sent to be analyzed at the KRCCU lab.