A corporal with the Central Bucks Regional Police Department has been accused of attempting to meet a teenage boy in Atlantic City, NJ for sex, only to find that he had been captured in a civilian “predator hunter” styled sting operation.
Clifford Horn, 54, of Chalfont, was arrested on July 25 on charges of attempted child luring / enticing a child by various means, according to a release from the Atlantic City Police Department.
In a report by Dann Cuellar at 6ABC, representatives from the Colorado Ped Patrol — a civilian group that poses as underage children online in order to publicly identify child sex abusers — stated that Horn went on the Grindr app to solicit sex from whom he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. Horn then travelled to Atlantic City, only to be confronted by the group of concerned citizens, the report states.
“The concerned citizens were engaged in posing as underage children on various social media sites,” said the Atlantic City Police Department. “They would confront the individual and notify local law enforcement. The citizens provided the responding officers with screen shots of conversations and detailed information that was shared between the citizens and the suspects.”
In total, police announced the arrests of four men, including Horn, as a result of the civilian operation. Video of the confrontation between Horn and the Colorado Ped Patrol is available here.
Following the announcement of Horn’s arrest, the Central Bucks Regional Police Department (CBRPD) released a statement indicating that Horn has been placed on suspension without pay, effective immediately.
“The Police Commission and CBRPD hold in profound regard not only a police officer’s commitment to uphold the law, but also their commitment to law enforcement’s code of ethics and conduct in the community,” reads a portion of the statement.
Additionally, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office provided the following statement:
"The Bucks County District Attorney's Office is aware of the investigation and arrest of CBRPD Corporal Clifford Horn in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Our office has assigned personnel to assist New Jersey authorities in any capacity, and to investigate and prosecute any criminal activity that may have occurred in Bucks County. This office protects all victims, regardless of whether the accused perpetrator is an officer of the law or not. No one is above the law. Our office will begin the process of evaluating all Bucks County criminal cases in which Cpl. Horn was involved."
Horn’s arrest is the second in recent months involving police officers from Bucks County who were accused of some form of child sex abuse. In May, 47-year-old Matthew Reiss — at the time an officer with the Hilltown Township Police Department — was charged with 50 counts of possession of child pornography.
Reiss, an 18-year member of the department, was placed on unpaid administrative leave following the charges. He subsequently entered his resignation on May 31.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Hatfield Man Charged With Animal Cruelty After Police Find Dead Rottweilers In Vacant Office Space
School Bus Driver From North Wales Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography
Perkasie Man Arrested After Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl He Met Online, Police Say
Telford Man Arrested After Offering $300 For Sex With Underage Girl In New Jersey, AG Says
