Devlin arraignment in St. Louis County now Sept. 19

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- Accused kidnapper Michael Devlin will be arraigned on St. Louis County charges Sept. 19, his lawyers said Wednesday.

Devlin had been scheduled for arraignment Wednesday, but the procedure was delayed at the request of attorneys Ethan Corlija and Michael Kielty. He will remain jailed in St. Louis County until the arraignment.

The 41-year-old former pizzeria worker faces more than 80 charges in three counties and federal court for the alleged abduction and abuse of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby. Devlin was moved to St. Louis County late last week. He had been jailed in Franklin County since his arrest in January after authorities found both boys at Devlin's apartment.

Ben, 13, had been missing four days. He was abducted after getting off a school bus near his home in Beaufort. Shawn, who turned 16 last month, had been missing more than four years since being abducted in October 2002 while riding his bike near his rural Washington County home.

Devlin is expected to return to the Franklin County jail in Union after the St. Louis County arraignment.

Corlija and Kielty prefer that Devlin be housed in St. Louis County. The attorneys are based in the St. Louis area and say the closer access to their client helps ensure Devlin will get a fair trial.

"This facilitates us to visit him at will," Kielty said.

It is The Associated Press' policy not to identify most victims of sexual abuse, but the boys' stories have been widely publicized, and their names are now well-known.