Sex offender charged with attacking boy

PORTLAND, Ore., July 3 (UPI) -- An ex-Marine registered sex offender has been charged with trying to sexually assault a boy in an Oregon fast-food restaurant, stabbing him when he resisted.

Arnold Lee Brown, 49, was arrested Sunday at a Wendy's in Portland, The (Portland) Oregonian reported. He faces a long list of charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.

Brown was released after serving 11 years of a 16-year term for sexually assaulting boys in the early 1990s. One of the conditions of his release is that he is supposed to stay away from places where children gather.

Investigators said Brown ambushed his victim outside the men's room Sunday afternoon, pushing him inside and locking the door. He allegedly inflicted serious injuries when he stabbed the boy.

When a security guard unlocked the door, Brown let the boy out and then shut himself inside. He surrendered to police two hours later.

Bail has been set at $2 million. Police said a warrant had already been issued for Brown's arrest on a probation violation charge.

"The monsters that our kids dream about aren't as bad as the real ones," Sgt. Pete Simpson, a spokesman for Portland police, said.