Published: November 24, 2009 01:09 am      

Not guilty plea entered in online solicitation

GREENVILLE — An Arkansas man has pleaded not guilty to the alleged solicitation of a minor online.

Christopher Lee Crawford, 28, of Mena, Ark., was arraigned Monday during a hearing in the 354th District Court. Judge Richard A. Beacom accepted Crawford’s plea, appointed an attorney to represent the defendant and scheduled a tentative trial date for May 10, 2010.

Crawford received one indictment from the Hunt County grand jury earlier this month on one count of online solicitation of a minor. Crawford was alleged in the indictment to have contacted a minor female child in Hunt County via the Internet on four occasions between Feb. 22 and March 6, 2008. He was arrested by the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office on June 5 of this year.

Crawford is facing a maximum sentence of from two to 10 years in prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000 if convicted of the third degree felony charge.