Who Is Jess Cliffe? Counter-Strike Co-Creator Arrested For Sexually Abusing Minor

Seattle police arrested video game "Counter-Strike" co-creator Jess Cliffe on Thursday morning for the alleged sexual exploitation of a minor. The details of the arrest were not immediately released by the police.

Cliffe was taken into custody by the police, however, he was not charged with the offense, according to a report by the Seattle-based local news station KIRO 7.

The report also stated Cliffe was not a history-sheeter. According to jail records, as cited by the news station, Cliffe was arrested at 1:17 a.m. local time Thursday (11:17 p.m. EST, Wednesday).

He was arrested from 2300 S.W. Webster Street, Seattle, a law enforcement source told the news station under the condition of anonymity.

Born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Cliffe went to North Hunterdon High School in Annandale. Later, he attended the Virginia Tech University. After completing his graduation, Cliffe took up a job with Valve Corporation as a game designer.

He created "Counter-Strike" with designer Minh Le in 1999. His voice was used in the game in the form of radio recordings and announcement clips.

According to reports, Cliffe was suspended from his duties in the Valve Corporation after reports of him sexually abusing a minor surfaced.

In a statement to Kotaku, Valve Corporation said Thursday: “We are still learning details of what actually happened. Reports suggest he has been arrested for a felony offense. As such we have suspended his employment until we know more.”

Cliffe was scheduled for a hearing Friday afternoon.

In a similar incident, a former TV host was arrested Monday for molesting a 10-year-old girl. Christopher J. Dionne, who is known for hosting the 2015 HGTV show "Family Flip," was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and the risk of injury to a minor.

The matter was reported to the police after the girl complained about Dionne touching her in an inappropriate manner when she was at his home for a sleepover in November last year. The victim was Dionne’s daughter’s friend.

In her complaint, the unidentified girl also stated Dionne had asked her to not disclose the matter to anyone.

Dionne pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held on a bond of $100,000.

In an emailed statement to Hartford Courant, HGTV said: “The person you reference in your inquiry appeared in a pilot that premiered on our network more than 2 1/2 years ago. The pilot was not picked up for series and is no longer on our air.”