The man accused of requiring sex from an underage girl in exchange for selling her cigarettes will be arraigned this week in Mower County Third Judicial District Court.

Ali Abdi Mohamed, 27 of Austin, will be formally arraigned 10:30 a.m. Friday on felony charges.

He made his first appearance last Thursday before District Judge Robert Benson. He was charged with two counts of felony criminal sexual conduct, according to a Mower County Attorney's office spokesperson. Bail was set at $30,000 and Mohamed was returned to the Mower County Jail.

According to Austin Police Department reports, two 14-year-old girls told an Ellis Middle School special education teacher of their encounter with Mohamed, a clerk at the North Main Street convenience store and Sinclair gas station two weeks ago.

According to the police report, the girls said they visited the gas station together to buy cigarettes June 11. Mohamed, who was working that afternoon, allegedly told them to show him their breasts before he would sell them cigarettes. The girls complied and Mohamed sold them cigarettes.

On June 12, the girls returned to the Sinclair station once again to purchase cigarettes.

According to their complaint to police, Mohamed said he would sell them cigarettes if one of the girls would perform oral sex on him.

While one of the girls exited the store and watched from the clear front window outside, she told police she saw Mohamed take the girl by the hand and lead her to a rear office area.

The girl then allegedly told her companion what happened and the two girls later on June 12 told the Ellis teacher, who contacted police for the girls, according to the police report.

According to police reports, Mohamed was in the store alone each day with the girls and no other customers were present.

Mohamed was arrested last Tuesday afternoon at the business.

The store's surveillance tapes for the two days in question were missing, according to the store owners, police said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com