INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) – A registered sex offender is back behind bars after he was found touching himself inappropriately at an Independence elementary school where children were present.

Records submitted to the institution Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court On Monday, Oct. 28, Clifford N. Wells, 43, of Independence, was charged with sexual assault following an incident at an elementary school.

Independence Police Department Just after 2:55 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, law enforcement officials were called to a nearby elementary school on a report of indecent exposure, he said. The caller reported that a man, later identified as Wells, was touching himself on the south side of the building.

When first responders arrived, they said they saw Wells unsuccessfully trying to hide his activities behind a propped pallet. Glass pipes with methamphetamine residue were also found in his possession.

While Wells was being arrested, investigators said he disclosed that he was a registered sex offender. He was found to be a violating felon convicted of legal sodomy on a 5- and 6-year-old child.

They said during an interview with law enforcement, Wells admitted to the crime but claimed he did so because he was homeless and his judgment was impaired by the methamphetamine he had consumed earlier in the day.

As of Thursday, Oct. 31, Wells remains behind Jackson County bars on $15,000 bond. The bond review hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 6, at 1 p.m. No further information was disclosed.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.