Area arrests

Bailey and Murray both reportedly made Internet contact with Kelly J. Williams, 23, of Stonington, Ill., in recent months, leading to a single count of felony sexual misconduct with a child filed April 21 by the Jasper County prosecutor and similar charges filed Wednesday by the Newton County prosecutor’s office.

Jake Skouby, Newton County prosecutor, said Williams was charged Wednesday with sexual misconduct with a minor and enticement of a child based on evidence gathered by Murray. Murray told the Globe that Williams allegedly committed those offenses after being charged in Jasper County based on evidence Bailey had gathered.

A probable-cause affidavit in the Newton County case states that Williams contacted Murray, who was posing as a 13-year-old girl named “Cindy,” on Yahoo Instant Messenger on May 6 and again May 7, and invited “Cindy” to view him masturbating via a webcam. He also sent her pornographic images, the affidavit states.

Ottawa County deputies arrested Michael D. Daly, of Blackwell, Okla., on Saturday after he allegedly traveled to Miami to meet someone he believed to be younger than 16, Undersheriff Bob Ernst said.

Ernst said he began Internet chatting with Daly about a month ago under the guise of a minor. Ernst said he had 10 separate chats with Daly that became sexually explicit and culminated in plans for Daly to travel to Miami to meet with the child at a convenience store.

When he was arrested Saturday, Daly allegedly had hydrocodone, Valium and Viagra pills in his possession, and a blanket and a bowie-type knife in his car.

“He’d discussed in chats that he’d bring a blanket so we could get out of his vehicle after driving around and engage in sexual activities,” Ernst said.

Daly was charged with making lewd or indecent proposals to a child younger than 16, a violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act and illegal possession of drugs. He appeared in court Tuesday and remained in custody Wednesday at the Ottawa County Jail, with bond set at $100,000.

Lloyd “Dean” Carder, 53, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at his Miami home when officers serving a search warrant allegedly turned up child pornography on several of his computers, compact discs and digital video discs.

The search warrant was based on information developed by Ernst and another Ottawa County sheriff’s officer assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Carder was charged with possession of child pornography, and posted a $100,000 bond and was released.

Legal issues

Internet stings of suspected child-sex predators remain a controversial aspect of law enforcement nationwide.

Darren Wallace, district defender for the Missouri State Public Defender System, said the Missouri Legislature designed state laws to avoid defense claims of entrapment. But the cases still raise criminal-justice questions because they usually involve an adult law-enforcement officer masquerading as a minor, he said.

“The publicity these types of cases receive from the national media makes it difficult to prepare a defense,” Wallace said.