Conway police arrested a Malvern man for aggravated assault after he allegedly pulled a gun on a Conway woman who answered his Craigslist advertisement seeking employees for an escort service.

According to a Conway Police Department release issued Tuesday, Loyton Francis, 31, of Malvern, turned himself in on the aggravated assault arrest warrant Friday.

The female victim, age 20, told police Francis presented himself on the online classified advertisement website under the name Jake Lancaster, owner of an escort service who was looking to interview potential employees.

The victim told police she answered the ad, and Francis picked her up at her home in Conway for what she thought would be dinner and an interview, but she was taken to a field where Francis allegedly pulled out a knife and later a gun and demanded she undress.

According to the department’s public information officer, La Tresha Woodruff, the victim escaped from the vehicle without injury and called a friend to pick her up from the area.

Woodruff said CPD detectives Sgt. Tracy McDermott and Brian Williams traced the Craigslist advertisement back to Francis and issued the warrant.

Detectives later learned Francis is on a federal pretrial release, and this arrest violates requirements of that release, according to Woodruff.

Francis is now in federal custody, she said.

Williams said it’s likely the Conway woman is not Francis’ only victim.

The department asks potential victims or those with information about the case contact Conway police at 501-450-6120, or contact the US Marshal’s Office in Little Rock.