An active-duty U.S. Navy commander was arrested this week in connection with multiple child sex crime charges following a months-long investigation led by Florida law enforcement.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Jonathan Leland Saburn, 44, was taken into custody on January 30, 2026, with assistance from the Navy Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities confirmed Saburn was arrested while on duty at Naval Station Mayport.
Investigators say the case began in July 2025, when a victim came forward to report incidents of abuse that allegedly occurred years earlier. Law enforcement officials state the investigation uncovered evidence that Saburn engaged in inappropriate behavior and unlawful touching on multiple occasions when the victim was a minor. The alleged incidents occurred in both St. Johns County and Duval County, according to investigators.
Saburn is currently charged under Florida law with multiple felony offenses, including lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim under the age of 12, lewd or lascivious exhibition involving a minor under 16, and child abuse without great bodily harm. Jail records show the charges stem from out-of-county felony warrants and remain pending.
Booking records from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office list Saburn as being held without bond at the Duval County jail. He has not been released, and a first appearance hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2026.
At the time of his arrest, Saburn was serving as a commander in the U.S. Navy. Publicly available military imagery from 2022 shows him assigned as a future operations officer with U.S. 4th Fleet, which is headquartered at Naval Station Mayport, where authorities say he was arrested while on duty.
Authorities have not disclosed the age of the victim or additional identifying details, citing the sensitive nature of the allegations. No trial date has been announced, and the case remains awaiting further court proceedings.
The U.S. Navy has not publicly commented on potential administrative or disciplinary actions related to Saburn’s service status. As with all criminal cases, the accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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