BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

MONROE COUNTY, W.Va. — A former Gilbert, W.Va., resident who was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of sheriff in Mingo County has found himself on the wrong side of the law and is currently incarcerated in the Southern Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.

According to information provided by the Monroe County Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, Jeffrey Scott Cline, 57, of Wayside, W.Va., was taken into custody Monday evening as a result of a sting operation. He is facing charges of soliciting a minor for sexual activity through text messaging and use of obscene material with intent to seduce a minor.

Sergeant S.S. Keaton stated he received a complaint earlier this month from a parent who reported Cline was attempting to solicit sex from their 14-year-old daughter. A sting operation ensued, during which an undercover state trooper posed as the juvenile and continued communications with Cline to lure him into being captured.

The criminal complaint states that Cline sent obscene images to who he believed was the juvenile and arranged to meet up with her Monday evening. Instead, troopers met Cline in the parking lot of the Wayside Post Office, where he was arrested on the two felony charges. He was taken into custody without incident and arraigned before Monroe County Magistrate Kevin Miller.

Trooper Keaton believes there is a distinct possibility there may be additional underage victims who were contacted by Cline with the intent to solicit sex who have yet to report the crime and encourages them to come forward with their information. The contact numbers for residents of Mingo County would be the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department at 304-235-0300 and the Williamson Detachment of the WVSP at 304-235-6000.