North Carolina Man Arrested for Pandering

NEWS RELEASE​​​​​​​​

January 16, 2025

Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman stated that his office was contacted on January 13, 2025 by a female wanting to report a juvenile runaway.

Sheriff Thoroughman stated that a deputy responded and obtained information for a report. The preliminary investigation revealed the juvenile had been in contact with an adult male from North Carolina.

Sheriff Thoroughman advised that on January 15, 2025 deputies received information that the

runaway juvenile and the male, from North Carolina, were seen at Burger King in Wheelersburg.

Deputies located them and the juvenile female was taken to the Southern Ohio Medical Center for evaluation. The initial contact with the male revealed no probable cause for an arrest.

Deputies obtained all the needed information to continue their investigation and released the

male.

Sheriff Thoroughman stated that the investigation was turned over to detectives. As this was occurring the detectives were contacted and advised that the male subject had shown up at the hospital requesting to see the juvenile.

Detectives responded to the hospital and observed the male walking away as they were nearing the hospital and he was detained.

Detectives interviewed the juvenile and her guardians and they learned that the male and juvenile met through Facebook on December 24, 2024. The two remained in contact and the male traveled by bus from North Carolina to Portsmouth.

Upon his arrival he obtained a ride to Wheelersburg and was snuck into the juvenile’s residence. The two then took off on foot and they located a building on Ohio River Road where they stayed for a few nights before being located.

Sheriff Thoroughman advised the detectives learned through the investigation that the male

subject had taken videos and pictures on his phone of a juvenile participating in sexual acts.

Arrested was Braceon Madison, age 18, of Laurinburg North Carolina. Madison has been charged with 8 counts of Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor, a felony of the 2nd degree.

Madison was arrested on January 15, 2025, without incident and is currently being held in the Scioto County Jail on a $250,000.00 bond.

Sheriff Thoroughman stated that this is still an ongoing investigation that will result in more charges being presented to the Scioto County Grand Jury on a later date.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel @ 740-351-1091