East Prairie man arrested for trying to meet minor on the campus of SEMO

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — An East Prairie, Missouri, man was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 11, for allegedly attempting to meet a child for sex on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Paul Blanchard Bixler, 55, was arrested by the SEMO Department of Public Safety and booked into the Cape Girardeau County jail at 6:09 p.m. Wednesday.

According to a heavily redacted probable-cause statement, Bixler had arranged to meet with a decoy posing as a minor for a sexual encounter through an undisclosed social media app at approximately 3:59 p.m.

The arresting officer, whose name is redacted in the probable-cause statement, spoke with the decoy at approximately 2:45 p.m. The decoy told the arresting officer that Bixler initiated the conversation, sending a text that read “you fr” — meaning, are you for real? — along with two nude photos of himself. The decoy responded that they were serious as long as Bixler was OK with their age.

After the initial conversation, Bixler accused the decoy of being a police officer, which the decoy repeatedly denied. Bixler requested the decoy send him nude photos to prove they weren’t working with law enforcement.

The two also exchanged explicit messages about what Bixler wanted to do with the child. When Bixler arrived, he was placed under arrest. Bixler allegedly smelled of alcohol, and two empty beer cans were found inside his vehicle.

After being arrested, Bixler agreed to speak with the arresting officer, acknowledging he had planned to meet with a child. Bixler said he thought it was a “tease” because of the decoy’s profile and the fact minors aren’t allowed on the unnamed app, which he reiterated later in the interview.

The decoy gave police a voluntary written statement where they said they were trying to find child predators because they were “concerned”. The decoy contacted DPS after Bixler attempted to solicit the minor and continued to communicate with Bixler, with the help of the arresting officer, until he arrived and was arrested.

Bixler is charged with felony enticement or attempted enticement of a child where the actor is 21 years or older and the minor is younger than 15. Enticement or attempted enticement of a child is punishable by five to 30 years in prison. Those convicted of the crime are ineligible for parole, probation, conditional release or suspended imposition or execution of a sentence for a minimum of five years.

Bixler is being held at the Cape Girardeau County jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond.