Man arrested for Internet sex offer

WASILLA -- A 24-year-old Wasilla resident was arrested this week after he allegedly tried to set up a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl over the Internet.

Patrick James Malone was taken into custody at 4:30 p.m. Monday when he arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place. Members of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation's Mat-Su unit took Malone into custody and remanded him to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on a charge of attempted second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, Alaska State Troopers said.

Malone was released from jail Tuesday on $10,000 bail, with his father acting as court-approved third-party custodian.

Alaska State Troopers in Palmer learned about Malone from a concerned citizen who called to report her teen-aged friend was communicating with him via the Internet, and that Malone wanted to meet the girl. Cooperating with investigators, the citizen contacted Malone over the Internet and posed as the girl, troopers said. The citizen and Malone set up a meeting at a Wasilla-area business, and authorities were waiting when Malone showed up.

During their Internet communications, Malone acknowledged to the citizen that he was 24 and the girl was 15, according to charging documents.

"The defendant asked if she wanted him to make love to her and if she would like to give him her virginity," court papers said.

In a document filed Tuesday in Palmer District Court, assistant district attorney Rachel Gernat said Malone's conduct warranted the class C felony charge because his actions were "a substantial step toward the commission of that crime."

Malone used the screen name "akdragonslayer_21" when he communicated with the girl, troopers said. The ABI's investigation also revealed that Malone had communicated over the Internet with several other women, including minors, and that he met with some of them. Troopers said Malone used his own name as well as his screen name in the communications.

Investigators are urging any other people who have communicated with or met Malone to contact ABI investigator Tim Hunyor at 746-9131 or 745-2131.