A young West Des Moines man is facing a felony charge of enticement, after he allegedly arranged an on-line meeting for sex with 15 year old girl in northeast Iowa. Charged in the case is 20 year old Cody Andrew Beaty.
Cedar Falls Police Investigator Robert Kramer says the "girl" was actually an undercover officer. Kramer says Beaty had been communicating with the presumed teenage girl since October and arranged to meet her this Wednesday in Cedar Falls. When Beaty arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested." Kramer estimates that officers in Black Hawk County have made 60 similar arrests over the past three years.
Kramer says he’s often asked by parents why officers are "luring" suspected predators to town. Kramer explains, "We’re not trying to lure these men to Cedar Falls, Waterloo or Black Hawk County to have sex with children. What we’re trying to do is prevent them from coming to Black Hawk County to meet your children Beaty, if convicted on the Class D felony enticement charge, could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Cyber-Crime Unit plans to release 2007 statewide figures for on-line predator arrests next week.