Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman announced the arrest of an 18-year-old North Carolina man in connection with the case of a juvenile runaway. The investigation began on January 13, 2025, when the sheriff’s office was contacted by a female who reported her juvenile daughter had gone missing.
Upon investigation, deputies discovered that the runaway juvenile had been in contact with an adult male from North Carolina. Sheriff Thoroughman reported that on January 15, 2025, deputies received information indicating that the juvenile and the man had been seen at a Burger King in Wheelersburg. Deputies located both individuals, and the juvenile was taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center for evaluation. The initial contact with the male revealed no probable cause for an arrest, and the man was released after providing necessary information for further investigation.
As the investigation continued, detectives were contacted about the male returning to the hospital, asking to see the juvenile. Detectives responded to the hospital and detained the man as he was leaving the premises. During subsequent interviews with the juvenile and her guardians, it was revealed that the juvenile and the man had met through Facebook on December 24, 2024. They had remained in contact, and the man traveled by bus from North Carolina to Portsmouth. Upon his arrival, he was given a ride to Wheelersburg, where he was secretly allowed into the juvenile’s home. The two then left on foot, finding a building on Ohio River Road where they stayed for several nights.
Further investigation uncovered that the male had taken inappropriate videos and pictures of the juvenile involved in sexual acts. As a result, Braceon Madison, age 18, of Laurinburg, North Carolina, was arrested and charged with eight counts of Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor, a second-degree felony. Madison was arrested without incident on January 15, 2025, and is currently being held at the Scioto County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Sheriff Thoroughman emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing, with additional charges expected to be presented to the Scioto County Grand Jury at a later date. Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.
