Morgantown Sex Offender Convicted After Traveling to Mexico to Purchase Child

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Scott David Bixler, 43, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to failing to update his sex offender registration.

United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Bixler, a convicted sex offender, traveled outside of the country last August without notifying the West Virginia State Police as required by his sex offender status. Bixler was arrested in Mexico, where investigators determined that he attempted to purchase a 7-year-old girl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Bixler was in possession of two tranquilizer air guns, methamphetamine, a cell phone jammer, and $5,000 in cash with which to purchase the child.

"It should be a relief to everyone, especially to parents of young children, knowing that someone as dangerous of Scott Bixler has been convicted and will be locked up for a long time," said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. "I'm grateful for the work of law enforcement to apprehend Bixler and bring him to justice."

As a result of his guilty plea, Bixler faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Services, and the West Virginia State Police.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.