YUMA – from www.azfamily.com – A man who thought he had set up a date with a 14-year-old girl instead ended up meeting sheriff’s deputies from Yavapai County.

David Garner was taken into custody for allegedly trying to have sex with minor girls.

The YCSO Internet Predator Unit used the internet to portray a 14-year-old girl. They talked to 55-year-old David Gardner, a Yuma resident, for several weeks as the teenage girl.

Investigators say Gardner agreed to meet the girl for sex and also sent a picture of his genitals at some point.

YCSO initially made contact with the suspect online posing as 12-year-old and later introduced the 14-year-old who was the younger girl’s friend. Detectives say Gardner was interested in a threesome with both girls.

When he arrived at a city park where he had agreed to meet the 14-year-old, deputies were on scene and arrested Gardner. They searched his vehicle where they found a laptop computer. After further investigation, detectives discovered Gardner had rented a hotel room where he had sex toys and alcohol waiting. That had been planned during the chat.

In all, detectives say Gardner tried to have sexual contact with at least 3 minor children. One attempt was on Saturday and two attempts on Sunday.

Gardner is in the Camp Verde Detention Center and faces 3 counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.