A Lowell man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he engaged in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl and taped at least one of the encounters.
Cody James Malone, 26, is charged with three counts of felony sexual indecency with a child, felony video voyeurism and felony internet stalking of a child. He is being held in the Benton County Jail on $75,000 bond.
Police say Malone admitted to a Springdale Police Department sergeant in June that he was engaging in sexual relationships with underage girls. Malone was arrested June 27 after police intercepted him while he was meeting with a 14-year-old girl.
Malone told police during interrogation that he had been texting underage girls and asking for sex, according to a preliminary arrest report with the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office. Malone then showed detectives nude pictures of the girls he had saved on his phone, the document states.
The report also states Malone showed detectives videos on his phone of him having sex, including a graphic video of him and a girl Malone identified as being 15 years old. Police were able to identify the girl and spoke with her family.
The girl told police she had sex with Malone on several instances, but that he lied about his name and said he was 17 years old, according to the preliminary arrest report.
Police confiscated Malone’s computer equipment after he told police he had additional child pornography at his home.
Malone is due back in court Sept. 27.
