Austintown police arrest man in underage sex sting

July 14, 2017 at 10:27p.m.

Staff report

LISBON

A sting operation conducted by Austintown police caught a Lisbon man trying to engage in sexual activity with a minor, a report states.

Matthew Earl, 36, of Lisbon Road, is charged with importuning a minor and possession of criminal tools. He was taken into custody by Austintown police Wednesday at McDonald’s on state Route 45.

Police said he planned to meet a minor at the restaurant to “discuss farming animals.”

The report said Earl “communicated with the underage male via text message in a graphic manner.”

Austintown police set up the sting by posting a male seeking male ad on the internet classifieds site Backpage.com.

Read more about the matter in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.