Leclair’s initial criminal offense took place in July 2016. His victim had posted an ad under the personal section on Craigslist, according to the July 19, 2018, search warrant affidavit. Leclair, a corporate recruiter, replied to the ad, met with the victim and drove to a hotel where they had sex. He gave her $200, and she sent him a nude photograph via email.

After their initial encounter, the victim told Leclair she was 14. Leclair continued to communicate with her for sex. According to the search warrant, they had three additional sexual encounters between them, one of which occurred at Leclair’s residence in Frisco.

Two years later, in May 2019, Leclair’s girlfriend, Melody “Mel” Shae, discovered Leclair’s communication with the victim. She met with the victim — the victim said Shae had threatened her — and told her Leclair was, according to the search warrant affidavit, “grooming her.” The affidavit also said “Mel was going to help [her]” and made a claim about Shae that the victim later recanted, Shae’s attorney Case Cagle pointed out in a Saturday evening email to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Shae then drove the victim back to Leclair’s house, where Shae also lived, and an argument between Shae and Leclair ensued. Leclair took the victim back to where she had originally met Shae, and both Shae and Leclair kept in contact with the victim until Frisco police got involved a month later, according to the search warrant affidavit.

Cagle said the victim’s testimony in open court about events related to Shae differed from what she had initially told investigators.

“The complaining witness testified in court that the only reason the police were notified was due to Ms. Shae informing the complaining witness’s parents about the illicit relationship Mr. Leclair had with the complaining witness,” Cagle said.

On June 29, 2018, the charges, according to Frisco police, were filed when the mother of the victim called police to report that her 16-year-old daughter had been assaulted.

About a month later, Frisco police arrested Leclair at 10 a.m. on July 26, 2018. He was transported to Denton County, and his bond was set at $30,000 on a charge of attempt to commit sexual assaults. Shae also was arrested in July 2018 on failure to report a felony, according to Frisco police.

Shae’s charge was dropped in July 2020, according to a July 17, 2020, Decline Notification from the Denton County District Attorney’s Office.

“Ms. Shae is going through a lot of mixed feelings of mourning and guilt right now,” Cagle said.

Leclair bonded out and spent the next four years free as the investigation and the court case unfolded. According to the search warrant affidavit, police were able to confirm via cellphone extraction that multiple text messages occurred between Shae and the victim and between the victim and Leclair to set up arrangements.

In February 2020, Leclair was indicted by a Denton County grand jury on five counts of child sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty.

The jury trial initially was scheduled for early May and then reset by the court. Jury selection began Monday. The trial lasted a few days before the guilty verdict was read. Prosecution had flown the victim in to testify.