An Ottumwa man was arrested after police say he attempted to meet up with an underaged girl who was instead an undercover police officer.
25-year-old Ryan McLeod was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor (Class B felony), grooming (Class D felony), and enticing a minor under 19 – sexual purpose (Class D felony).
The Ottumwa Police Department says from June to November of this year, McLeod exchanged social media messages with a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl but was an undercover police officer.
Court records say McLeod spoke with the undercover officer in a sexual manner, made several requests for nude photos/images, and suggested the two meet to perform unlawful sexual acts.
Shortly after midnight on November 14th, McLeod was taken into custody after meeting with other undercover officers when he believed he was meeting the underaged child.
McLeod was transported to the Wapello County Jail and is being held on a $25,000 bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 24th.
