Columbia man charged with child sex crime

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with a felony after he allegedly tried to solicit someone, who he thought was a minor, for sex.

Travis Moreland, 37, was charged on Tuesday in Boone County with child enticement. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says a deputy posed as a 16-year-old girl on an escort service website on Saturday and received a reply from Moreland on Monday. The deputy allegedly told Moreland they were 16 years old and Moreland claimed he was OK with their age, the statement says.

Moreland asked for a photo and the deputy sent a photo of what Moreland thought was a 16-year-old and he replied with a photo of his own, court documents say. Moreland then wanted to meet the supposed girl to pay for sex, but the deputy asked to meet in a public place, the statement says.

Law enforcement sent Moreland a message claiming the decoy was at a gas station, Moreland arrived minutes later and was arrested, court documents say.

Moreland allegedly admitted he knew the decoy’s age to be 16 years old and “thought maybe it was a ‘setup,’” the statement says.