Andrew Mitchell O’Brien entered a not guilty plea to charges of engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print medium and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
It is alleged the 16-year-old girl had sent O’Brien sexually explicit photographs of herself along with some video footage. O’Brien reportedly replied to the material with comments and asked the girl to send more photographs.
According to investigators, the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from relatives of the girl reporting O’Brien was traveling between Kansas and Arkansas to meet the female. A meeting had been arranged at the parking lot of a business on State Highway 5 South near the girl’s residence. The relatives were concerned for the safety of the teen.
A Baxter County deputy sheriff set up surveillance at the meeting place. O’Brien was said to have driven by the area twice before pulling into the parking lot just before 1:00 a.m. on Dec. 15th.
The man, dressed in blue jeans, a hoodie and dark jacket, left his car and walked from the vehicle along State Highway 5 South past the girl’s residence and then returned to the agreed-on meeting place.
He had reportedly sent a text to the female minor tell her he was close by.
The deputy made contact with O’Brien and took the Kansas man into custody. His vehicle was searched and a number of items were located including handcuffs, vodka, condoms and two cellphones.
When initially contacted, O’Brien said he thought the girl was a 19-year-old, and denied he was aware she was only 16. The victim, however, said she had told O’Brien her actual age during their various communications.
O’Brien is reported to be on active military duty stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Military police have placed a hold on him, according to Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery.
His bond was set at $50,000.
A Boone County man, Robert Lambert of Lead Hill, played a part in making O’Brien’s visit to the Twin Lakes Area even worse. Lambert was arrested Dec. 14th by Mountain Home Police at Walmart and placed in the Baxter County Detention Center. The vehicle he was driving was impounded.
When he was released Sunday, Lambert went to the impound lot to find his vehicle, but discovered the lot was closed and secured. Lambert was captured on video surveillance cameras as he crawled under the fence and gained access to another vehicle and proceeded to ram the gate open. He then went to his own vehicle and drove it off the lot.
The vehicle he used as a battering ram belonged to O’Brien, who had driven it from Kansas to Mountain Home to allegedly meet the underage female with whom he had been corresponding on social media.
It was estimated Lambert caused about $10,000 damage to O’Brien’s vehicle and property at the impound lot.
Lambert also faces new charges stemming from the breakout at the impound lot. He is charged with breaking or entering, theft of property and criminal mischief. He was arrested in Harrison Monday and he was booked into the Baxter County jail. His bond is also set at $50,000. He will reappear in circuit court Jan. 17th to be formally arraigned.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI