Austin man pleads guilty to charges of soliciting a child for sex

An Austin man caught in a sting operation is pleading guilty in Mower County District Court to charges of soliciting a child for sex.  

24-year old Shadow Hawk Mallan was arrested on June 4 and charged with soliciting a child or a person believed to be a child for sexual conduct and engaging in electronic communication about sexual conduct with a child or a person believed to be a child. Mallan entered a guilty plea Friday to the solicitation charge.

The Austin Police Department reported that they learned in May that Mallan was dating a 14-year-old girl and had online communication with a 12-year-old girl. A detective created an online identity as a 12-year-old girl and began online chats with Mallan.

Court records state that Mallan sent the detective’s online persona multiple messages, indicating he was looking for a relationship, asking if he could take naked pictures of her, and finally asking to meet her for sex. A rendezvous was arranged at Bandshell Park, where Mallan was arrested. Police indicated that during their interrogation of Mallan he admitted to being addicted to child pornography.