A Bismarck man has been charged with luring minors by computer.

Stephen Wallace, 24, was charged Thursday with the Class C felony. South Central District Court Judge Sonna Anderson set bond for Wallace at $10,000 cash.

Luring by computer is a Class C felony when a suspect is older than 22 years old or the minor is younger than 15. Otherwise, it is a Class A misdemeanor.

Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said a 16-year-old Bismarck girl's father reported that a 24-year-old man had been engaging in sexual talk with his daughter. The man kept trying to get the girl to meet him in various parks around Bismarck, Donlin said.

He said the conversations were going on from Sept. 23 until Wednesday.

Lt. Bob Haas said the girl had told her father what was going on, and police knew about it Tuesday.

Haas said police arranged a meeting with the man in Pioneer Park. The man thought he would be meeting the 16-year-old girl, Donlin said.

"We had him in custody at Pioneer Park, where he was waiting to meet the 16-year-old,"Donlin said.

Wallace was placed in the Burleigh County Detention Center at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said Wallace has a significant criminal history and is on probation for a prior conviction. She said he may be a danger to the community, and she requested the $10,000 cash bond.

Wallace said he is currently unemployed and lives with his wife.

"She can watch me," he said.

Lawyer said the e-mails were placed from Wallace's home, so she did not think that would be a deterrent. Wallace said his wife was not home at that time.

Wallace's arrest came just a day after state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem announced that the Bureau of Criminal Investigations will start a new unit to aid local agencies in finding people who sell child pornography and use Internet chat rooms to lure children for sex.

Stenehjem also said at the Tuesday news conference that he plans to ask the Legislature for a one-year minimum prison sentence for anyone older than 22 years old convicted of luring minors by computer. Currently, there is no mandatory minimum sentence.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)