A 32-year-old man is accused of soliciting two teenage girls – one who’s a minor – for sex in the parking lot of Vancouver Mall.
O’Neal Payne III, no address provided, appeared Friday via Zoom in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of commercial sex abuse of a minor, fourth-degree assault, second-degree vehicle prowling and patronizing a prostitute.
Judge John Fairgrieve set Payne’s bail at $35,000; he will be arraigned March 19, court records show.
A girl, whose age wasn’t included in court records, and her 18-year-old friend arrived around 8:15 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of the mall. The friends said they were sitting in the younger girl’s car when Payne approached, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Payne entered the back seat of the car without permission. He pulled out a stack of cash with his signature on it and asked the teens to come back to a hotel room to have sex. They declined, and he became upset and left. As he was leaving, Payne caressed the 18-year-old’s cheek, the affidavit says.
Nothing in the affidavit suggested the two girls were prostitutes; the law applies in any instance where someone offers another money to engage in sexual conduct.
Video surveillance reportedly captured Payne entering the girl’s car.
He was located at Days Inn, 9107 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive, and detained. Police said both victims positively identified him as the man who solicited them for sex, according to the affidavit.
During his arrest, Payne made comments about girls wanting his cash, the affidavit says.
