A 37-year-old Galloway man was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor after a tip from Discord set off an investigation into material allegedly found on his account. Paul Cloys was arraigned the day after his arrest, with a preliminary hearing now scheduled for November 16, 2026.
According to the affidavit as reported by WSYX, investigators began looking into Cloys after Discord reported suspected child sexual abuse material through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline. Per the same affidavit, Discord flagged three separate files believed to contain the material, triggering the referral that led police to Cloys.
What Investigators Documented
Investigators documented one of the files as a 75-second video depicting graphic and disturbing conduct involving an infant and an adult male, the station's report states. Court documents cited by the outlet accuse Cloys of soliciting, receiving, purchasing, exchanging, possessing, or controlling matter depicting a minor engaged in sexual conduct. The same documents allege he advertised, sold, distributed, exhibited, or displayed material showing a minor engaged in sexual activity.
The charges were filed October 15, 2026, in Franklin County Municipal Court, per the outlet's reporting. Under Ohio law, a repeat violation involving sexually oriented matter concerning a minor or impaired person can be charged as a third-degree felony, according to Ohio Revised Code section 2907.322; the statute excerpt does not establish whether Cloys has any prior qualifying conviction or what degree applies to the current charges.
Conflicting Reports on Bond and Court Dates
Accounts of Cloys's bond status diverge. WSYX reports that bond was set at $800,085 with no internet access ordered as a condition of release. Heritage Headlines, meanwhile, reported that bond had not yet been set at the time of its own account, noting Cloys was being held at the James A. Karnes Corrections Center. The evidence available does not explain the discrepancy between the two reports.
The two outlets also list different upcoming court dates. WSYX cites a preliminary hearing set for November 16, 2026, while Heritage Headlines listed Cloys's next court date as Saturday, November 7, in Franklin County Municipal Court. Neither report clarifies how the two dates relate to one another.
Heritage Headlines' report on Cloys's arrest also noted a separate case: Ventura Galeano was booked the same day, Friday, November 6, on a felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. That case appears unrelated to Cloys's charges beyond the shared booking date reported by the outlet.
A Broader Pattern of Tips
Cases that begin with a platform referral to NCMEC's CyberTipline have become increasingly common nationally. The organization has reported that the CyberTipline received 1.4 million reports concerning online enticement in 2025, including more than 800 reports in which an offender was said to have traveled to meet a child in person, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
No outcome has been reported in Cloys's case, and the charges remain allegations at this stage of the proceedings.
