POINT PLEASANT, WV (LOOTPRESS) – An Ohio man was arrested in the Point Pleasant area recently following attempts to meet with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old with intentions to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, at around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22, 2024, deputies with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kody Florence, age 20 of Gallipolis, OH, for
“SOLICITATION OF A MINOR VIA COMPUTER.”
Florence is reported to have made “an overt act to meet the minor, who he thought was 14 years old, for prohibited sexual activity,” authorities say.
The arrest was conducted in the Point Pleasant area of Mason County and was made without incident.
Florence was taken into custody at Western Regional Jail with a $75,000 bond.
The arrest was made as part of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office’s efforts to hold child predators accountable in our area – a joint effort with the Sheriff’s Office, the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office, and Operation Juicebox (with oversight by law enforcement).
Cpl. J. Ferrell lead the investigation while assistance was provided by the Point Pleasant Police Department and Gallia County Sheriff, Matt Champlin.
“We have and will continue to have great working relationships with other local law enforcement,” said the Mason County Sheriff’s Office in a statement.
“We will not let up on our resolve to hold these predators accountable.”
