Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: Naval Station Mayport commander arrested in child sex and abuse case – Legal Perspective
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- A Naval Station Mayport commander was arrested on multiple sex crime charges.
- Jonathan Saburn, 44, faces charges including lewd or lascivious molestation and child abuse.
- The alleged incidents of abuse were reported to have occurred in both St. Johns and Duval counties.
A commander at Naval Station Mayport was jailed on sex crime charges after being arrested in a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jonathan Saburn, 44, was arrested Jan. 30 while on duty at Naval Station Mayport with assistance from the Navy Criminal Investigative Services and the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. He was jailed without bail on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition and child abuse.
Saburn is the deputy director of Naval Academy Sailing, the Sheriff’s Office said.
His arrest results from an investigation that began in July 2025 “when the victim came forward to report delayed incidents of abuse to law enforcement,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The investigation revealed “inappropriate behavior and touching on several occasions when the victim was young, in both St. Johns and Duval counties,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Saburn’s LinkedIn page states he has been a naval officer since May 2004. His previous duty assignments were listed as director of auxiliary services, USS Gerald R. Ford based in Norfolk, Virginia.; director of operations, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command based in Mayport; and director of auxiliary services, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower based in Norfolk.
Property records show he and his wife own two homes in Saint Johns and St. Augustine.