Fayette man pleads guilty in sex sting

A Fayette County man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he attempted to solicit sex from a 14-year-old boy.

Kelly Lee Harrington, 49, of Normalville, was arrested last June as part of a sting operation by the state Attorney General’s office.

Investigators said Harrington contacted a teenage boy through social media and arranged to meet the teen for a sexual encounter. But his”victim” was actually an undercover agent posing as a teen. Agents arrested Harrington when he arrived at an undisclosed location to meet the boy, according to court records.

“My office is committed to protecting children from abuse and will prosecute anyone we find attempting to prey on minors to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “This predator made arrangements to meet up with someone he believed was only 14 years old. Thanks to the relentless work of our agents and prosecutors, he is being held accountable for his illegal actions.”

In court on Tuesday, Harrington pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful contact with a minor, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and the illegal use of a communications device.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio will sentence Harrington in about three months. He faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to court records.