Not too long ago, Bridgeport Police Lt. Gary Weaver said that the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit could sadly use a whole lot of other people to handle the number of cases in the area. And Weaver once again has proven that to be the case.

 

Last week, on July 22 (Friday), 22-year-old Bruce Lee Clayton was arrested and charged with soliciting a minor via computer. The charge on the Fairview man, which involved a juvenile male, is a felony charge.

 

Unlike many other cases that Weaver has handled through the West Virginia State Police’s ICAC unit and his own role with the Bridgeport Police, this one did not involve Weaver posing as a juvenile male or female on the internet. This one involved Clayton allegedly contacting the individual.

 

“He met the boy through social media and that’s how the contact began. He offered him gifts and then asked him for pictures to exchange and asking to meet up with him,” said Weaver.

 

Weaver described the pictures that were asked for as “sexual” in nature and “inappropriate.” He added that no photos were ever exchanged.

 

The bulk of the contact occurred last year. The period of time, Weaver alleges, is between Dec. 1 and Dec. 21. On the Dec. 21 date, Clayton allegedly asked the teenage youngster to leave a basketball game at Lincoln High School.

 

“The boys would not leave to meet him,” said Weaver.

 

The formal investigation began a few months ago when ICAC was comprised of the details of the entire situation. On July 8, an arrest warrant was issued for Clayton.

 

On July 22, after searching for Clayton for several weeks, the suspect was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service outside of a hotel in Westover. Initially, Weaver said, Clayton provide an incorrect name to the Marshals before an arrest was made.

 

“He was taken in without incident,” said Weaver. “The Marshals spent a good four or five days looking for him and they caught him.”

 

This isn’t Clayton’s first brush with the law. Weaver said he was also on probation in Marion County.

 

As of Tuesday, Clayton was still in the North Central Regional Jail. He was being held on $15,000 bond.
 

Editor's Note: Top photo, from the North Central Regional Jail Web site, is of Bruce Lee Clayton, while Lt. Gary Weaver is shown below.