Man accused of contacting underage children on mobile app in Cole Co.
A Jefferson City man is accused of contacting underage boys on a mobile app dating back to August 2014.
According to court documents, 36-year-old Andrew Clayton was communicating with multiple teenage boys on the mobile app KIK between August 1, 2014, and March 27.
Investigators with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department interviewed multiple boys who allegedly had contact with Clayton.
One 14-year-old victim told deputies he received multiple messages from Clayton, who offered to perform oral sex on the boy.
That same victim told investigators Clayton sent him nude photos of another 14-year-old boy.
Investigators talked to the second victim who told investigators he met the man, Clayton, on KIK and knew the other victims.
The second victim told investigators he met up with Clayton several times in the summer of 2014, and Clayton performed oral sex on him. The victim confirmed Clayton had taken several nude pictures of him.
Deputies arrested Clayton after a traffic stop on March 27.
In an interview, Clayton admitted to performing oral sex on a victim, receiving anal sex from the same victim, and said he was aware the boy was 14 years old when the sex act occurred.
Clayton also admitted to soliciting the first victim multiple times to allow the victim to perform oral sex on him. Clayton told investigators he used the KIK app to talk to a lot of young men and often asked them if they would allow him to perform oral sex on them.
Clayton went on to tell investigators he tried to convince one of the victims to have sex with another 17-year-old he knew through KIK with the intention of capturing the act on video, but that incident never happened.
He also admitted to using a fake KIK account where he posed as an 18-year-old woman and received several nude photos of boys to this account.
Clayton is charged with 2nd degree promoting child pornography, enticement of a child, 2nd degree statutory sodomy, and promoting sexual performance by a child.
Bond was originally set at $100,000, but was reduced to $50,000 on March 31. Clayton posted bond on Wednesday and was released from the Cole Co. Jail.
