photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

James Ryan Reynolds, pictured September 2019

A Baldwin City man accused of offering a woman money for sexual relations pleaded not guilty in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday.

James Ryan Reynolds, 44, entered the plea after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing. Judge Kay Huff, who is presiding over the case, scheduled Reynolds’ next court appearance for March 24. He is represented by Olathe attorney Carl Cornwell.

Reynolds was arrested at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 11 and charged Sept. 25 with promoting the sale of sexual relations for allegedly offering to pay $2,000 per month for weekly meetings with a woman he believed to be a sex worker, the Journal-World has reported.

According to an affidavit for the case, Reynolds had requested to meet with a woman to discuss possible sexual relations for money. They met around noon Wednesday, Sept. 11, at an address in the 2300 block of West 31st Street.

The woman was an undercover officer working with the Douglas County Drug Enforcement Unit.

According to the affidavit, during a roughly 20-minute conversation, Reynolds reportedly told the officer he was looking for “some fun, a hot body to play with” and oral sex — about once a week, depending on their schedules.

Reynolds also “stated he wanted to put his hands on my body and feel on me,” the officer wrote, and that he “wanted to make a girl happy.” Rarely, if ever, would he want to have sex, though.

The officer wrote that she asked him the most he was willing to pay; Reynolds said he hated making prices, but “if I was really good” it would be $500 per week. She told him that he had said via text prior to the meeting that he’d pay $2,000; he reportedly confirmed and said $2,000 per month.

The undercover officer reportedly signaled to her colleagues that probable cause existed for his arrest. When Reynolds left and got into a white Chevrolet passenger car, uniformed officers stopped and arrested him.