Man pleads not guilty in Internet sex case ; Michael Berk is accused of offering to pay for sex with a Biddeford girl, 12.

TREVOR MAXWELL By TREVOR MAXWELL Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
12-02-2008
Man pleads not guilty in Internet sex case ; Michael Berk is accused of offering to pay for sex with a Biddeford girl, 12.
Byline: TREVOR MAXWELL By TREVOR MAXWELL Staff Writer
Edition: Final
Section: Local & State
Type: News

A 28-year-old Brownfield man, accused of trying to rent a 12- year-old girl for sex, remains in federal custody after pleading not guilty on Monday.

Michael Berk waived his right to a bail hearing at U.S. District Court in Portland. His trial date was set for Feb. 2.
The federal prosecutor said additional charges involving child pornography are forthcoming against Berk. Investigators believe he may have traveled to Thailand last spring, and images on his seized laptop computer show Thai children engaged in sex acts, according to court documents.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but said he expects to file new charges against Berk.

In August, Berk allegedly responded to a help-wanted advertisement posted by a Biddeford man on the Internet site Craigslist. The man said he needed work to help provide for four children. Berk allegedly offered to pay the man to have sex with his 12-year-old daughter. The man called police.

On Aug. 28, Biddeford police and detectives from the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force conducted a sting at a Dunkin' Donuts store in Westbrook. They arrested Berk after a conversation between him and an undercover officer.

"The man offered $300 per week for three times per week with the girl. The entire conversation was recorded," task force Detective Laurie Northrup said in an affidavit.

Northrup said Berk waived his Miranda rights and cooperated with investigators after the arrest. Berk admitted that he had traveled to Westbrook to arrange payment to have sex with a 12-year-old, Northrup said.

Berk was released on $1,000 bail a day after the arrest. That same day, police executed a search warrant for Berk's Volkswagen sedan and his home at 715 Spring St. in Brownfield. Among the items found were a laptop computer, a hard drive, routers, other computer equipment and three digital cameras.

"Stored on the hard drive of the computer they found images that appeared to be minors engaged in sexual activity and the children may be of Thai origin. It also appears that Mr. Berk may have been in Thailand in the spring of 2008 based on video clips that appear to depict Thailand in a file named Thailand," Northrup said in the affidavit. "The clips appear to have been created by one of the cameras found in Mr. Berk's possession."

Northrup consulted with federal prosecutors and a warrant was issued for Berk's arrest. Police arrested him Oct. 7 in Frederick County, Md. Berk was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 20, on two counts of using the Internet to coerce or entice a female.

That crime is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Berk lived in Maine once before and had resided in Brownfield since February or March. He also lived in Texas, Arizona, New York and New Jersey, police say.

Staff Writer Trevor Maxwell can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:

tmaxwell@pressherald.com

Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: Michael Berk

Copyright 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.