CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) -- A Guntersville man has been convicted of attempting to pay for sex with a child.

On Wednesday, a jury found Maekele Tekle, 32, guilty of first-degree attempted human trafficking, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sexual act and engaging in prostitution with a minor. The news was announced by District Attorney Summer Summerford on Thursday.

“The greatest asset we have is our children," Summerford said in a statement. "They are our future and deserve to be protected. Because of the outstanding work and cooperation of law enforcement, this predator was met by officers instead of the child that he intended."

According to prosecutors, Tekle used an escort service website to communicate with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. He then negotiat

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