NWA man accused of stalking a minor
BENTONVILLE — A Farmington man was arrested after being accused of having inappropriate communications with a girl and then an undercover police officer pretending to be a child, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Edward Hahling, 34, was arrested Friday in connection with two counts of internet stalking of a child, possession or use of child sexual abuse material and sexual grooming of a child. He was being held Wednesday in the Benton County jail with a $250,000 bond set.
Rogers police started investigating April 3 after a girl complained about receiving text messages from an unknown person, according to the probable cause affidavit.
One of the messages from the person, later identified as Hahling, told the girl it was a random number and wanted to know if she wanted to be friends, according to the affidavit. She told Hahling her age, which is redacted from the affidavit, and he responded he liked her age and asked her to meet for sex, the affidavit says.
The affidavit claims Hahling told the girl he is 33 years old and lives in Farmington, and he asked where she lived.
The girl reported Hahling sent an image she said was an AI-generated picture of herself, and Hahling asked her to send him pictures of her, according to the affidavit.
Hahling sent the girl a photo of his face and exposed genitals, the affidavit states.
A Rogers police detective started communicating with Hahling, pretending to be a friend of the girl, the affidavit states.
Hahling asked the detective to send him “a sexy picture” of her in her underwear because an “undercover police officer could not send him those images,” the affidavit says.
The affidavit reports Hahling sent more photos of himself and sexual messages to the detective.
The detective and Hahling discussed meeting, and Hahling asked her to bring dirty underwear and a jacket, according to the affidavit. He asked again for a nude image, claiming it would put his mind at ease because undercover officers cannot show nudity and he did not want to be labeled as a pedophile or go to jail, according to the affidavit.
Rogers and Farmington police detectives set up to meet Hahling at a store in Farmington, but ended up going to Hahling’s home and arresting him.
Hahling told police his mother had guardianship over him due to his mental status, and he had been found incompetent in another state, according to the affidavit.
Hahling was arrested in California in connection with sending harmful material to seduce a minor; threatening with intent to terrorize; stalking; annoying or molesting a child under 18; and vandalism, the affidavit states.
Hahling’s arraignment is set for 8 a.m. May 13 in Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren’s court.
Hahling was ordered if released on bond not to have unsupervised contact with any minors and to be prohibited from having any internet access.