CLARKSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Morgantown man has been sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed under federal law for failing to update his sex offender registration.
Scott David Bixler, 43, received a 10-year sentence and will remain under lifetime supervision following his release, federal prosecutors announced.
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Bixler, a convicted sex offender, was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) for life, including reporting any international travel.
In July 2023, he fled to Mexico just before a scheduled state court sentencing for previous failures to register under West Virginia law.
Authorities arrested Bixler and his spouse in Mexico, where they were found in possession of two pellet guns, methamphetamine, a cell phone jammer, and a large amount of cash.
Investigators also uncovered that the couple was attempting to purchase a young girl, a plan thwarted by Mexican authorities.
“The sentence handed down by the Court ensures that the Defendant will be confined in prison for the maximum time allowed by law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard.
“I shudder to think what might have happened but for the dedication of AUSA Perri, the federal and state law enforcement agencies, as well as the Mexican authorities. Our community and children are safer because of their efforts and the sentence imposed.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri and investigated by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the West Virginia State Police.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse.
More information about the program can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the case.
