Former Portland officer to serve more than 6 years after conviction in child sex sting operation

AVON — A former Portland police officer has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after being found guilty of trying to meet a decoy posing as an underage girl.

A jury convicted Joshua Clark on a single count of child solicitation, a level 4 felony, while another count of child seduction was dismissed without prejudice, according to online court records.

He'll serve a total of 2,195 days at the Indiana Department of Corrections, or approximately six years and five days, according to Hendricks Superior Court.

Clark was convicted back in July on the allegation he arranged to engage in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old last year in Avon.

He was suspended in May and placed on suspension after the attempted meet-up. Days after the fact, he was arrested by Avon police.

The group behind the decoy is known as "Predator Catchers". The group posted an hour-long videoof the encounter with Clark, in which he is heard calling himself an "idiot."

Portland Mayor John Boggs later said that Clark had resigned and that all his equipment had been collected.

In addition to prison time, Clark will have to register as a sex offender with IDOC.

Clark has 30 days after Sept. 14 to file an appeal, according to court records.