PAYNE SPRINGS -- Joey Dauben, publisher of EllisCountyObserver.com, will probably ring in the New Year in the same place he spent Christmas -- in jail unable to post bond. Dauben is being held in the Navarro County Jail on $200,000 bond while he awaits trial on indecency and sexual assault of a child charges. A perennial political candidate, Dauben recently filed for nomination by the Libertarian Party for the 23rd Texas Senatorial District. In filing for the position, he withdrew a candidacy for a Republican precinct chair position in Henderson County. Dauben is best known as a muckraker who pushes the line in his coverage of local elected officials. He also has become known as a crusader fighting child pornography and sex trafficking. Dauben, 30, was arrested by Texas Rangers on Dec. 19 at his grandmother's home in Payne Springs after a Navarro County Grand Jury indicted him on four counts of sexual abuse of a child. The indictment alleges Dauben sexually assaulted a male child four years ago during a church outing. The indictment's four counts relate to the same child who claimed he came into contact with Dauben at a September 2007 trip to Navarro Mills. Dauben describes himself as a Torah-observant Messanic Christian. A copy of the indictment published by EllisCountyObserverSucks.com, which is operated by one of Dauben's many detractors, alleges the publisher molested the child and engaged him in oral and anal intercourse. In a statement apparently prepared prior to his arrest, Dauben denied the charges and claimed the child had a history of making false allegations. The alleged victim was 15 at the time and is now 19, according to Patrick Owen, the husband of one of Dauben's editors. Dauben was interested in the boy's sister, not him, Owen said. Dauben alleged the charges were manufactured as part of a conspiracy to silence him. The statement was published on Dauben's Website. A subsequent post on the Website by Dauben's publishing associates claimed jail officials had placed him on a suicide watch. Dauben reportedly has requested a court-appointed lawyer to represent him. It is not Dauben's first brush with law enforcement officials. In 2009 he was charged with three felonies for publishing a reserve police officer's mug shot. He was jailed for two weeks before the charges were dropped. Last summer his home office was raided in connection with his publication of a child's medical records, but he was not arrested in connection with the investigation. Publishing associates and friends have launched an effort to raise money for Dauben's release and defense. The donations page, accessible through the Website, has so far raised only $175.00. But Owen said much more money has been raised for Dauben through another source. Dauben's associates appear to be struggling to keep the Website operating. One associate apparently has quit, and the comments section has been locked down, according to a Website post. Pictured below is Dauben during his jail booking.