Tuesday, May 25, 2004
The defendant has served most of the sentence.
LISBON -- The first of eight men arrested so far in an Internet sex sting conducted by New Waterford police has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Michael Black, 54, of Taylorsville, Ky., was given that punishment recently by Judge David Tobin of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.
Black pleaded guilty to what's known as importuning, explained Tim McNicol, assistant county prosecutor.
The offense means that Black used the Internet to solicit sex from whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl but who actually was New Waterford Police Chief Dan Haueter posing as a teen in an Internet chat room.
When Black showed up in the village Jan. 30 to meet the "girl," he was arrested by police.
He originally was charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison; and attempted unlawful conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony bearing a maximum 18-month sentence.
Plea deal
Black pleaded guilty to importuning in exchange for prosecutors' recommending a six-month sentence and dropping the attempted unlawful conduct charge.
Black was credited by the judge with having already served 111 days in jail since his arrest.
As part of the sentence, Black agreed not to fight being shipped to Bond County, Ill., where he is charged with indecent solicitation of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, McNicol said.
Both charges stem from Black's involvement with a 14-year-old girl, not a law enforcement officer posing as one, authorities say.
Cases are pending in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court against the other men charged in the New Waterford sting, McNicol said.