Four arrested for crime against a minor after responding to Craigslist post

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Anchorage police have arrested four men each charged with a crime against a minor.

Twenty-year-old Brandin Carpenter was charged with sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy, who police say had been posting personal ads online asking for sex.

Carpenter was arrested Wednesday.

Detectives also learned that 23-year-old Samuel Bair had also responded to the craigslist ad and had sex with the boy.

Bair was arrested Thursday.

Detectives posed as the boy and posted a similar ad online.

They say that's when 26-year-old Yasin Soofizadeh responded to the ad and made arrangements to meet for sex.

Soofizadeh was arrested on Nov. 16th and charged with online enticement of a minor.

Nathan Merkel, 49 years old, also responded to the ad and was arrested Nov. 18th for online enticement and attempted sexual abuse of a minor. Merkel is a former employee of KTUU Channel 2.