WAILUKU — Police in Maui arrested a man for allegedly making arrangements online to meet an undercover officer who was posing as a teenage girl.
Eric Duncan, 34, was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child, The Maui News reported Tuesday.
An online investigation was initiated Friday in Kihei by an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, court records said. A person started a private chat with the agent’s profile on a social media application before they had a text message conversation that became sexual, records said.
The person agreed to meet the agent and a surveillance team at the location saw a man later identified as Duncan, records said.
Duncan was directed to an address in Kihei, where he allegedly tried to lure the agent posing as the girl to his car in a message. When the officer refused Duncan drove away and was stopped by officers, police said.
Deputy Prosecutor Lewis Littlepage requested a bail increase from $20,000 to $100,000 for Duncan, who originally is from Indiana and has lived in Hawaii for four years.
The $20,000 bail set by police was already more than what would normally be set for that level of crime, Deputy Public Defender Tyler Stevenson said. Duncan has no prior record and is employed, Stevenson said.
Judge John Breen increased bail to $100,000.
“The nature of this charge is so serious, even though you’re presumed innocent, I don’t want to take that kind of risk,” Breen said.
The judge ordered Duncan not to use the internet or make appointments with anyone under age 18 who is not a family member.