Police say Indiana County man tried to meet with teen girl in Arnold for sex

An Indiana County man was charged with two felonies Wednesday that accuse him of trying to meet up with a 15-year-old girl in Arnold for sex.

Authorities say he thought he was communicating with her on social media and by telephone for two weeks.

But instead of meeting the girl when he got to the prearranged location, he was greeted by state agents and taken into custody.

A male agent for the state Attorney General’s Child Predator Section had been posing as the girl with whom the man was planning to have sex.

James Carter Sears, 45, of Old Route 119 in White Township, was charged with two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor as well as involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal use of a communications facility.

Even though no girl existed and there were no sex acts performed, authorities file charges in such cases based on a person’s intent to commit a crime.

Sears was taken to the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post a $10,000 cash bond. He faces a preliminary hearing Dec. 16 before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. He did not have a lawyer listed in court records.

According to the criminal complaint, an agent was posing as a 15-year-old girl on a social media site Nov. 16 when Sears initiated contact.

Investigators said Sears continued to communicate with the girl after being informed of her age. He told the girl he was 44 years old and that “age is just a number” before asking for her telephone number so they could keep in touch, the complaint said.

After getting her number, Sears sent the girl a series of sexually explicit photos of himself along with text messages in which he outlined the things he wanted to do to her when they met, according to the complaint.

During a conversation with the girl initiated by Sears on Nov. 18, he was again told by the girl that she was 15 and feared getting pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease if they met, the complaint said.

Sears told the girl he was unable to father children and that he recently had been tested for STDs, according to the complaint.

Sears is accused of contacting the girl shortly before 8 a.m. Dec. 1 to arrange a rendezvous with her at 5 p.m. that day so they could have sex.

He received a text from the girl shortly after 4 p.m. with a meeting location.

Agents spotted Sears as he arrived in Arnold and pulled his vehicle over, police said. He was taken into custody without incident.

Investigators said Sears agreed to speak with them after being transported to the Arnold police station for questioning.

During the interview, Sears admitted that he was aware he was communicating with a 15-year-old and that he had several chances to end the conversations with her, according to the complaint.

Sears also agreed to let investigators search his cellphone, where they found the entire text message thread between him and the girl, the complaint said.

Sears also told investigators that while driving to meet the girl, he “told himself to turn around several times” but that his “curiosity got the best of him,” according to the complaint.