A Stanley man has been arrested on felony charges in two counties for allegedly soliciting a minor within 50 feet of a school and luring minors by computer.

Gabriel Scott Barrick, 42, Stanley, was arrested and charged in Mountrail County on Jan. 2 and Williams County on Jan. 3, after investigations by the Stanley and Tioga Police Departments.

According to court documents, Stanley Police responded to a report that Barrick had been speaking with a 16-year-old female on a messaging app beginning in November 2023. Investigators described the conversations as sexual in nature. Stanley police brought their concerns to the Tioga Police Department, which organized a sting operation using a fake social media account purporting to be a 16-year-old girl. A Tioga Police detective contacted Barrick using the fake account in November, leading to statements from Barrick similar in nature to the ones reported to Stanley law enforcement.

Court documents indicate he communicated throughout December with the actual teenager and the fake profile, and his messages became more explicit. The messages escalated to making arrangements to meet with the minor at his residence on the morning of Jan. 2.

Stanley Police contacted Barrick at his residence early on Jan. 2. Barrick allegedly admitted to talking to the victim and providing his address so she could meet with him. Investigators said Barrick claimed he was going to tell her to leave when she got there. Barrick was arrested and is being held at the Mountrail County Correctional Center.

Both charges are Class C felonies, which carry maximum sentences of five years in prison. Barrick has been approved for the appointment of a public defender in both cases. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 1 in the Mountrail case, while a court date has not been filed yet for the Williams County case.