Washington man arrested in Redmond, accused of traveling for sex with ’14-year-old girl’ who was actually undercover officer
Barney Lerten
(Update: Mayfield in court; judge sets bail, conditions if released)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Washington state man was arrested Monday in Redmond and arraigned Tuesday on charges he traveled to Central Oregon to engage in sex with a “14-year-old girl” he net online – who actually was an undercover officer.
Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and detectives, along with members of the DCSO SWAT Team and U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Daniel James Mayfield, 33, of Sedro-Wooley, Washington, at a location off Rimrock Way in Redmond where he had arranged to meet the juvenile, DCSO Public Information Officer Jason Carr said Tuesday.
A long-term investigation into online child exploitation found that Mayfield believed he was communicating with an underage girl and had traveled to the county with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor, Carr said.
Mayfield was arrested without incident and lodged in the county jail in Bend on initial charges of luring a minor, first-degree online sexual corruption of a child and third-degree attempted sexual abuse of a child.
Prosecutors filed the first two felony counts Tuesday but did not include the third charge. The district attorney’s information said the alleged actions occurred between August 19 and Monday.
The court filing alleges Mayfield used online communication to solicit someone he reasonably believed to be under age 16 to engage in sexual contact or explicit conduct, “and intentionally took a substantial step toward physically meeting with and encountering the child.”
Prosecutors said he had spoken explicitly about sexual conduct “with a law enforcement officer posing as a minor … for the purpose of inducing the purported minor to engage in sexual conduct.”
Mayfield was arraigned Tuesday afternoon before Circuit Judge Randy Miller, who set bail at $50,000 and laid out several conditions, if he’s release. They include no contact with minors and not going to places where minors regularly congregate. He also cannot use, possess or access any devices capable of access the internet.
Mayfield is scheduled to return to court Dec. 2 for arraignment on an expected grand jury indictment.
