MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — A Bruceville-Eddy police officer was charged with sexual assault of a child after an investigation found he paid a boy to have sex with him, according to an arrest affidavit.
The affidavit said Nathaniel Lawrence had sex with the victim the day after Thanksgiving.
Det. Joseph Scaramucci with the McClennan County Sheriff's Office said he first met the child Jan. 21 at McLane Children's Hospital. Nurses told Scaramucci the boy was "possibly receiving financial benefit from adult men in exchange for sexual acts," according to the affidavit.
Scaramucci said the boy told him he met men on an app and would have sex with them in exchange for goods or money.
Scaramucci looked through the victim's phone on which he found a text asking "when can we hook up again?," according to the affidavit. The victim identified the person as a police officer.
The victim said he had Facetimed with Lawrence two times before meeting him for sex on Nov 26.
Scaramucci texted Lawrence on Jan. 25 posing as the victim. According to the affidavit, Scaramucci texted that if Lawrence would pay him he would have sexual intercourse with him. A short time later, "Lawrence sent $40 to the juvenile's account, and stated he was on his way," the affidavit said. Lawrence then went to the victim's house.
Scaramucci said he confirmed Lawrence was an officer by using law enforcement databases.
Calls to the Bruceville-Eddy Police Department had not been returned as of the time this article was published.
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