Crime & Safety
Detectives: Alabama Man Tried to Meet Girl, 14, in Manatee For Sex
But the 35-year-old man was actually chatting online with law enforcement, and he was arrested Friday at a local park, authorities said.
An Alabama man arranged to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old for sex while he was in Manatee County on business, detectives said Friday.
Instead, he had actually been chatting with law enforcement on a social network chat site, and when he got to a local park around 10 a.m. Friday morning, he was arrested.
Christopher Thomas Howell, 35, of Loxlay, AL, was charged with traveling to meet a minor to engage in sexual acts, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
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Howell admitted he had initiated the conversation and solicited the girl, a sheriff's office spokesperson said. He was reportedly in Manatee for a few weeks on a business trip and planned on returning home after the sexual encounter.
Authorities did not reveal the location where Howell was arrested in a media release sent Friday.
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