Paxton police arrested a Milford man early Wednesday after he allegedly solicited sex from a 15-year-old girl and traveled to Paxton to meet her.

About 8 1/2 hours after they began their investigation into the matter, Paxton police arrested Andy E. Leppard, 42, of Milford, around 12:05 a.m. Wednesday as he was inside his parked car in the 500 block of West Franklin Street, Police Chief Coy Cornett said.

Leppard was taken to the Ford County Jail, where he remained late Wednesday morning awaiting the setting of his bond.

Police arrested him on charges of traveling to meet a minor and indecent solicitation of a child, both Class 3 felonies, and solicitation to meet a child, a Class 4 felony.

Ford County State’s Attorney Andrew Killian had not yet filed formal charges as of late Wednesday morning.

“I am awaiting the full police report,” Killian said in an email, “but I anticipate a charging decision later this week.”

Cornett said that around 3:24 p.m. Tuesday, Paxton police initiated their investigation into Leppard’s alleged indecent soliciting of the teenager. On Tuesday night, Leppard allegedly drove to Paxton in a 2007 Ford Escort to meet the girl, Cornett said.

The car was seized by police under Article 36 of the Illinois Criminal Code, Cornett said.

Police also ticketed Leppard for unlawful possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle. Cornett said a small amount of cannabis was found inside a pill bottle in Leppard’s possession.

Leppard is due to appear in Ford County Circuit Court on the cannabis charge at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, court records show.

According to court records, Leppard is on probation in Iroquois County. Leppard was sentenced to four years of probation in August 2020 after pleading guilty to burglary, a Class 2 felony.

His criminal history also includes a misdemeanor retail theft conviction from April 2019 in Iroquois County, for which he received court supervision and a fine.