A Warren County man who served a term in federal prison for wire fraud and sexual enticement has been arrested in Covington County charged with enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes.

David G. Atwood, 28, 439 Garden Grove St., is being held at the Covington County Jail following his arrest early Tuesday morning, said Angie Diehl, administrative supervisor for the sheriff’s office there.

Following an initial hearing, bond was denied for Atwood because he was already out on a felony bond after being charged with arson in Attala County earlier this month, Diehl said.

Also, Diehl said, officials in Rankin County have issued a warrant for Atwood’s arrest on similar enticement charges. A spokesman at the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office said an investigation was ongoing and the sheriff would not comment. Warrants are not public record until served, said the spokesman.

Atwood’s Covington County arrest came after a 1:30 a.m. traffic stop on Cold Springs Road.

“We received word and began looking for his vehicle,” Diehl said. Atwood was taken to the sheriff’s office for questioning and later booked.

Officials in Attala County charged Atwood with felony arson at the beginning of August.

Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Ricky Davis of the Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office said Atwood is suspected of burning the weekend home of his grandfather, Emmett Atwood of Vicksburg, in November 2009. It wasn’t clear if the home was destroyed.

Attala records show that Atwood was released Aug. 2 from the county jail on a $50,000 bond.

In 2005 Atwood pleaded guilty in Jackson to charges of wire fraud and sexual enticement using a computer to entice a minor. He was sentenced to five years and three months in a federal prison followed by five years’ probation but was given supervised release and ordered to pay $26,000 in restitution. He also was required to register as sex offender.

His supervised release was terminated in January 2010 for violating terms of his probation. It wasn’t clear if Atwood is still on probation, and Diehl said he would remain in Covington County unless his federal probation is revoked or Attala or Rankin officials issue an order for Atwood’s appearance.

“The next step would be to present the case to the grand jury, and our next grand jury session is not until January,” Diehl added.

In 2009, Atwood was tried in Warren County Circuit Court for felony malicious mischief in a case involving vandalism to a tractor. He had been indicted in October 2004 by the Warren County grand jury, but the case was handled by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office when former District Attorney Gil Martin recused himself and his office from prosecuting.

His trial ended in a mistrial when jurors were unable to agree on a verdict, and in March the charges were dismissed by the attorney general when the victim declined to pursue the case.

Atwood ran unsuccessfully for Warren County constable in 2002 at age 19, and filed to run for sheriff in 2003 but did not compete in the election.

Earlier this year, Atwood published an autobiography, “Into Hell I Rode,” which focuses on the criminal justice system. On July 22, he filed a civil suit against the City of Vicksburg, Warren County, Vicksburg police officers Daniel Thomas, Chris Tankesly and Penny Jones, Sheriff Martin Pace and an unnamed county motorcycle deputy, claiming his civil rights were violated when he was attempting to distribute fliers advertising his book during the Miss Mississippi Pageant on July 2.