SANDPOINT — A Sagle man was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for committing sexual battery on a teenager who posed as an adult on a dating site and traded sexual favors for gifts and money.

The alleged victim, 17, testified that Michael Henry Forker offered to buy him gifts if Forker was allowed to perform sex acts on him, an arrangement which led to two encounters in a Sandpoint office and Forker’s home in April.

Forker, 39, met the teen on Grindr, an online dating service geared toward gay and bisexual men, according to preliminary hearing testimony.

Magistrate Court Judge Justin Julian noted the peculiar set of circumstances in the case — a teen on the cusp of adulthood voluntarily seeking out adults for consensual sexual hookups.

Julian admitted that he might have questioned Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall’s decision to pursue such a marginal case at taxpayer expense.

However, Julian said one fact made it clear why Forker was being prosecuted. Forker is a registered sex offender.

Forker’s counsel, Chief Deputy Public Defender Susie Jensen, asked on cross-examination how he learned of Forker’s sex offender status.

“The detective told me,” the teen testified.

Forker is charged with two counts of sexual battery of a minor between the ages of 16-17. He faced an additional charge of possession of child pornography for taking a picture of the teen’s body.

The teen testified that he presumed Forker took the photo because Forker asked for permission to take it beforehand.

“You can reasonably infer that it was taken,” Marshall argued during the hearing.

Sheriff’s Det. Barry Reinink testified that Forker’s Android smartphone was seized as evidence, although investigators are still working to defeat the security passcode that allows access to the device’s contents.

Julian declined to find probable cause for the child porn charge due to the absence of the photo. The charge can be re-filed if additional evidence emerges.

“We have to see it before we know,” Julian said.

Forker is a registered sex offender after being convicted of 10 counts of encouraging child sex abuse in Washington County, Ore., misconduct which dates back to 2003. Forker was accused of possessing child porn while working at a shelter for runaway teens in Portland, according to an Oregonian news report.

Forker is free on a $50,000 surety bond. He is set to be arraigned in 1st District Court on June 12.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and find him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.