YouTube video of man soliciting 14-year-old lands him in jail, South Carolina cops say

A widely circulated video of a man soliciting a 14-year-old boy has ended in an arrest in South Carolina, police said.

The man in the video has been identified as Oliver Joseph Hall, 44, and he is charged with criminal solicitation of a minor, the Belton Police Department said in a news release.

Investigators said they began searching for Hall Nov. 7, after detectives were made aware of a “very concerning” video posted on YouTube. Belton is about 100 miles northwest of Columbia.

“As many of you recall a video was shared to social media of an individual attempting to meet a 14 year old boy,” the department said. “Immediately after discovering the video, an investigation was opened. Through the hard work, long hours and dedication our investigators, along with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Hall was taken into custody at his residence without incident.”

The 19-minute video, which has been viewed nearly 21,000 times as of early Nov. 18, was posted on Nov. 7 by the South Carolina Chomo Chasers.

It starts with an exchange of sexually oriented text messages, then shows someone confronting a man in his pickup truck.

The pickup driver says he is parked in the lot to meet “a friend” who is 18, and denies breaking any laws.

A multi-jurisdictional investigation led to Hall’s arrest, including the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and the state Attorney General’s office, officials said.

Belton officials said the department was a “little behind the curve” in the case, due to learning of the incident only after the video was shared on social media.

This story was originally published November 18, 2021 at 5:28 AM with the headline "YouTube video of man soliciting 14-year-old lands him in jail, South Carolina cops say."