August 5, 2004 Internet Solicitation Arrest Made By ANDY STAMP WHEELING - A Marshall County man was arrested in Elm Grove Thursday for solicitation of a minor for sexual acts via the Internet, officials said. As of 3 p.m. Friday, Larry West, 23, of Standiford Road was still being held in the Northern Regional Jail. Ohio County Sheriff Thomas Burgoyne said this marks the first arrest in Ohio County using a statute recently enacted by the state Legislature that makes criminal certain illicit acts involving the Internet. In March, the West Virginia Crime and Abuse Act was signed into law by Gov. Bob Wise. As amended by the state Senate, the bill targets adults who at least believe the minor they are trying to lure from cyberspace is underage and at least four years their junior. The law states that any person over the age of 18, who knowingly uses a computer to solicit, entice, seduce or lure a minor or other person he or she believes to be a minor, is guilty of a felony. A violation of the law could result in a 10-year prison term and a fine of up to $5,000. Burgoyne said Cpl. Jude Bowman, an Ohio County school resource officer, had been working on this particular case with Ohio County school officials for more than a year. On July 10, Bowman initiated an undercover investigation of West regarding several alleged Internet-based crimes and a separate string of alleged incidents, including a reported battery of five juveniles in South Wheeling. Pursuant to the new legislation, Bowman created several fictitious Internet personas, all of which claimed to represent 13-year-old females. Bowman then used an Internet messaging service to have several discussions with a person using a screen name that reportedly belonged to West. At 11 a.m. Thursday, West was arrested without incident outside an Elm Grove church, where he was reportedly waiting to meet the imaginary teen. Instead, West was taken into custody by Deputy Brandon Groves with the assistance of Sgt. Nelson Croft and Sgt. Kevin Goode. According to the report, West told the officers he was meeting the girl in order warn her against the practice of meeting strangers via the Internet. Upon subsequent questioning, West admitted to sending a picture of his genitals to the fictitious girl. He added, "It was a stupid thing to do." On Friday, West appeared before Ohio County Magistrate Rose Humway on the single charge of solicitation of a minor for sexual acts via the Internet. Bail was set at $50,000, and West was remanded to the NRJ in lieu of bond. A search warrant was issued by Marshall County Magistrate David Buzzard for the computer allegedly used in connection with the charge. It was served by Bowman and Marshall County Sheriff's Deputy J. Arehart. The following items were recovered from West's residence: three computers, a large quantity of pornography, "sexual aids," various CD-ROMs and diskettes, paper material relating to Internet contacts, one hard disk and one digital camera. The West Virginia Crime and Abuse Act was drafted after the arrest in February of a 26-year-old New York man who had allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old Wayne County girl he met online. Earlier this year, two men from Bellaire and Wintersville were arrested by the Fairborn, Ohio, Police Department for allegedly soliciting sex from minors over the Internet. Fairborn Police Capt. Ron Van Nuys noted that investigators such as Bowman are instructed to go into chat rooms and not approach anyone. The officer must also never mention anything about sex but must wait for the predator to initiate a conversation and make the solicitation. Staff Writer Gabe Wells also contributed to this report.