Cape Girardeau man arrested on child enticement charge
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — A Cape Girardeau man was arrested after police say he attempted to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy for sexual activity.
Paul Ray Legrand Jr., 42, was booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail at 11:26 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, following an arrest by the Cape Girardeau Police Department.
Legrand is charged with enticement or attempted enticement of a child involving a person 21 or older and a child younger than 15. His bond was set at $75,000, according to jail records.
According to a probable cause statement, a Cape Girardeau police officer was dispatched around 4:31 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, to investigate a reported sex offense.
Police said dispatchers reported that members of a nonprofit organization were with a man, later identified as Legrand, who allegedly was attempting to meet a 13-year-old boy for sex.
According to the probable cause statement, members of the organization told police they had been communicating with Legrand while using an alias and posing as a child.
Investigators said the messages showed the person posing as the child told Legrand they were about to turn 14. According to court documents, Legrand continued the conversation and allegedly sent multiple sexually explicit messages proposing sexual activity.
The probable cause statement also alleges Legrand sent sexually explicit images of himself along with other photographs that investigators said clearly identified him.
Police said Legrand was attempting to meet the person he believed to be a 13-year-old for sexual activity. The officer stated in the probable cause statement that there were reasonable grounds to believe Legrand posed a danger to the community or another person.
The probable cause statement was electronically filed Sunday, Aug. 23, in Cape Girardeau County.
The allegations contained in the probable cause statement have not been proven in court. Legrand is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
