Chief shuts down news conference

PORT CLINTON — The city's police chief announced Monday he's shifting back to using Facebook for announcements about the search for a missing teenager.Chief Rob Hickman held a press conference at City Hall on Monday afternoon, where he's been conducting similar briefiings daily since late last week.Hickman said there is no new information regarding Harley Dilly's disappearance. The 14-year-old has been missing since Dec. 20.News teams from Toledo, Cleveland, Sandusky and Fremont attended the conference, which lasted less than three minutes. Hickman told reporters that federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are investigating the case, and that they "need the investigation to be allowed to continue uninterrupted.""We are working tirelessly to bring Harley home," he said.Hickman asked people to not spread rumors about the case, and to continue spreading flyers with Dilly's photograph.Hickman said he will no longer hold in-person press conferences daily, but from now on will only release new information on the Port Clinton police Facebook page, where speculation about what happened to Harley has been rampant and shared across social media platforms. "This shift in briefing allows us to continue to focus resources on the case and should not be construed otherwise," he said.Hickman said if there's a "major" development in the case, he'll schedule another press conference.A reporter asked Hickman if his department or others were actively searching for Harley on Monday."At this point I think I've answered that. We're continually working the case," he said.About 75 first responders, helicopters and dogs were involved in searching for Dilly last week, with the focus of the search being a 150-acre area southeast of Dilly's home. Hickman did not specify during his press conference Monday if the search, and scope of the search, have continued in that manner.The reporter then asked if anyone had been to Harley's house Monday, and Hickman walked out of the room without answering the question.Harley Dilly is 4-feet 9-inches tall, weighs about 100 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes. He wears glasses, and was last seen wearing a maroon puffer jacket, gray sweatpants and black tennis shoes.There's a total $7,000 reward for information leading to Dilly's safe return.Anyone with information should contact Port Clinton police at 419-734-3121 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.Reach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterPort Clinton police Chief Rob Hickman speaks to reporters in a room of the Port Clinton City Hall Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. Harley Dilly