Utah man charged for messaging Alisa Petrov online seeks bail, claims he is not a flight risk
Related video: Charges filed against third suspect in Alisa Petrov case
SALT LAKE CITY () — The Utah man arrested for allegedly messaging 15-year-old Alisa Petrov online before she went missing has requested bail.
Samuel Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, Utah, with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and one count of enticement of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.
He is accused of communicating with Alisa through the online messaging app Discord and having conversations that were sexual in nature.
PREVIOUSLY: Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents
Mitchell has posted a bond between $5,000 and $10,000, arguing that he is not a flight risk due to strong ties to Utah. He has agreed to submit to ankle monitoring, a pretrial release supervision by a private probation provider — which would require regular phone check-ins — and have no internet access.
He claims he has no prior criminal history and has the financial resources to pay for home confinement/GPS geo-fencing monitoring if the court deems it appropriate.
Mitchell was previously in the disappearance of 15-year-old Alisa Petrov. Police obtained a search warrant for his phone, and he was .
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family releases statement after South Jordan girl found alive in Colorado
Petrov went missing on April 21 and on June 1. The South Jordan Police Department (SJPD) told ABC4.com that she was found 'alive and healthy'.
After finding several online messages exchanged between Petrov and three separate men, detectives believed Petrov was trying to get to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The three men, including Mitchell, have been charged in connection with Petrov's disappearance. The other two have been identified as , 35, of Miami, Florida, and , 37, of Texas City, Texas.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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