Police: Man Solicited Minor For Sex

Oneida, NY (WIBX) -  It sounds like something you've seen on the TV show "To Catch A Predator," local police posing as a teenaged girl to catch a person suspected of trying to engage in sexual acts with a minor.

William VanPatten Junior, 48, faces a felony charge of Attempting to Disseminate Indecent Material to a Minor.

VanPatten's arrest at his home in Oneida followed an investigation by Utica Police, Oneida City Police and the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center.

Sergeant Steven Hauck, public information officer for the Utica Police Department, says authorities became aware of VanPatten's alleged actions and began posing as a 14-year-old girl. Not only did VanPatten send sexually explicit text messages and photos to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl, he also arranged to meet the victim for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts, Hauck said.

Because it is an active investigation, Hauck said he could not get into specifics or talk about any other possible victims.