KANSAS CITY, MO. — Despite his defense attorney’s argument that he is “a good man” who “did something very stupid” a Roaring Fork Valley man who allegedly traveled to Missouri to have sex with a 7-year-old will not be allowed to post bail, remaining in jail at least until his next July 16 court date.

Ryan Edward Mausner, 42, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of use of interstate facility to attempt to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of statutory rape or attempt to commit statutory rape and statutory sodomy or attempt to commit statutory sodomy.

The former Aspen-area event coordinator allegedly traveled to Kansas City on May 25 where he was arrested after a series of online and text conversations, beginning on Jan. 31, with an FBI online covert employee posing as the mother of two, according to court documents.

The FBI agent, who works for the Child Exploitation Taskforce, allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with Mausner culminating in the two planning a time for Mausner to have sex with the employee’s invented 7-year-old daughter.

In the hearing Tuesday to determine whether Mausner posed a threat to society if he were allowed the ability to post bail Dee Wampler, Mausner’s attorney, emphasized his “spotless” record and mental state over the past five months.

“It’s always a delight to represent a person in a courtroom that has no prior record,” said Wampler, a partner in a Springfield law firm.

That clean record is what Wampler said ensured him that Mausner was “extremely remorseful” and would not repeat his behavior.

Mausner has had a job since he was 14 and has never been fired for any reason, and he additionally has a relatively clean legal record with the exception of minor traffic violations, Wampler said. Mausner’s behavior, he said, was the result of personal troubles.

“I believe alcohol played an important role,” Wampler said.

The alleged conversations with the FBI employee began right after Mausner separated from his wife and mother of his child, Wampler said. He said he believes depression and alcohol influenced Mausner’s behavior.

Mausner had divorce court filings scheduled for June at the time of his arrest. His wife also scheduled a court date in June to restrict his access to their children.

Mausner allegedly told Wampler that he was interested in starting a relationship with an adult woman in the Kansas City area but that the child just happened to be mentioned.

On April 2, the affidavit states, Mausner asked “what sexual activity the 7-year-old had engaged in with others and described what he would like to do to her” and also “provided the [FBI agent] with sexual instructions of what he wanted the [agent] to do to the 7-year-old.”

Judge Sarah Hayes, however, wasn’t sold on Mausner’s story. She granted the prosecution’s request for detention, saying, “There’s no single condition to ensure the safety of the community.”

The prosecution’s request stemmed from concern that Mausner was a flight risk and posed a danger to the community.

Federal Prosecutor Patrick Daly argued that because Mausner had shown a willingness to travel for criminal activity, did not have active employment, and lived outside of the Missouri Western District two hours away from the nearest district courthouse he should remain in jail until after his trial.

“He can’t be sufficiently supervised,” Daly said.

Mausner’s court date is scheduled for July 16 with a scheduling meeting for counsel later in June.

Editor’s note: The Aspen Times is working with the Kansas City Star to cover this case.