Police said Bird and the undercover officer had been talking through an online chat application starting in February. Police said Bird “steered the conversation towards becoming sexually explicit in nature” and “mentioned he wanted to have sex with” the underage girl.
According to police, Bird and the undercover officer discussed a price for an encounter and agreed to meet March 10 in New Haven. Bird did not show up on the day of the meetup but continued to communicate with the officer, attempting to purchase an encounter, police said.
Police said they arrested Bird on May 1 on a warrant charging him with criminal attempt to commit risk of injury to a minor. Bird’s cellphone also was seized, they added.
Bird was released from custody after posting a $100,000 bond, the state’s judicial website shows.
Police said they arrested Bird again July 10, charging him with illegal possession of child pornography. According to police, Bird was released on a $500,000 bond, the judicial website states. He is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Meriden on May 1, according to the website.