MADISON, Wis. -- A Verona man was charged on Wednesday in connection with trafficking of a child.

According to the criminal complaint, Paul M. Ketring, 39, approached a woman outside a Madison bar with a proposition on July 20.

"He told her he would pay $50 if she were able to procure for him an 8-year-old girl so he could have sex with this girl. She got very creeped out about this conversation so she approached us," said Joel DeSpain, Madison Police Department spokesman.

Police said that with the help of the woman, investigators heard Ketring negotiate a deal. Officers then arrested him, police said.

Authorities said they executed a search warrant at Ketring's home in the 800 block of Kimball Lane on Monday and discovered numerous pieces of computer equipment.

A detective reported finding more than 270,000 still images and 3,000 videos, many of which images depict apparent child pornography or erotica, on one of the four hard drives located during the execution of the search warrant, according to the complaint.

"Whether he downloaded on the Internet or he filmed some of these things himself, we don't know that yet. And that's why we're asking for anyone who might have information to please call Crime Stoppers," DeSpain said.

According to court documents, items seized in the search included a stun gun, two semiautomatic handguns, binoculars found next to the kitchen sink and a refrigerator magnet reading, "Unregistered sex offender."

As of Friday, Ketring is still being held in the Dane County Jail.

Investigators said they believe Ketring could be connected with other crimes and they are asking anyone who has been in contact with him to call Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.

Friends and neighbors of Ketring said that he is a new father and kept to himself in his one-bedroom apartment.

He has minor offenses in his record, but nothing that would have required him to register as a sex offender, WISC-TV reported.

Residents living at the Hometown View Apartments who spoke with WISC-TV said they are shocked and sickened by the allegations.

"I only saw him once when he moved in. Otherwise I've never talked to him anything," said one resident who didn't want to be identified. "I know there are a few kids in my building, and I don't know about the other building, but it's (disturbing)."

Police said they are now investigating whether Ketring used Craigslist and social media sites like Facebook to gain access to children.

Investigators said they are also working to determine if Ketring approached anyone at Glacier Edge Elementary School, which is across the street from his apartment.

"If there are people at the school who believe this person was acting inappropriately around the school we, don't have that information at this time," said DeSpain.

Court records show another woman contacted police saying Ketring asked her through Craigslist to post more pictures of her 4-year-old daughter on her website because she "is so pretty."

When Ketring asked to babysit the girl, the woman told him no because she didn't trust him and he made her nervous, to which he replied, "You're a smart woman," according to court documents.

Ketring appeared in Dane County Circuit Court on Thursday and bail was set at $30,000.

The court ordered that Ketring not go near schools or parks and that he must abide by a curfew and cannot access the Internet.

His next court appearance is set for Aug. 5.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.