Met up with Scioto County juvenile 

A North Carolina man is in the Scioto County jail after he traveled by to Scioto County to meet up with a with a minor and then allegedly took videos of them participating in sexual acts.

Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman said in a press release that his office was contacted on Jan. 13 by a female wanting to report a juvenile runaway. A deputy responded and obtained information and the preliminary investigation revealed the juvenile had been in contact with Braceon Madison, 18, of Laurinburg, North Carolina.

Two days later, deputies got information that the runaway juvenile and Madison were seen at Burger King in Wheelersburg. Deputies found them and the juvenile female was taken to the Southern Ohio Medical Center for evaluation. The initial contact with Madison revealed no probable cause for an arrest.

Deputies obtained all the needed information to continue their investigation and released Madison. The investigation was then turned over to detectives.

As this was occurring, the detectives were contacted and advised that the Madison had shown up at the hospital requesting to see the juvenile. Detectives responded to the hospital and observed Madison walking away as they were nearing the hospital and he was detained.

Detectives interviewed the juvenile and her guardians and they learned that Madison and juvenile met through Facebook on Dec. 24, 2024.

The two remained in contact and Madison traveled by bus from North Carolina to Portsmouth.

Upon his arrival, he obtained a ride to Wheelersburg and was snuck into the juvenile’s residence. The two then took off on foot and they located a building on Ohio River Road where they stayed for a few nights before being found.

Thoroughman said the detectives learned through the investigation that Madison had taken videos and pictures on his phone of a juvenile participating in sexual acts.

On Jan. 15, deputies arrested was Madison and charged him with eight counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and is currently being held in the Scioto County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Thoroughman stated that this is still an ongoing investigation that will result in more charges being presented to the Scioto County Grand Jury on a later date.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.