A New Jersey man was charged in a “sex sting” case where he allegedly tried to meet up with a 14-year-old, Queens girl he propositioned with sexual relations over the Internet, the Queen’s District Attorney’s office announced last Thursday.
The 14-year-old girl was actually an under-cover NYPD detective, who was contacted several times via instant message over the course of a month by the 57-year-old defendant, Dhirubhai H. Patel.
According to the D.A.’s office, Patel was using screen name NiceMan609@AOL.com to send sexually explicit messages to the mock victim.
He was arrested on July 9, after he invited who he believed to be the underage girl, to a pre-arranged Queens location for what he allegedly thought would be a sexual encounter.
“This case should once again serve as a reminder that sexual predators are cruising the Internet in search of vulnerable victims. Parents must monitor their children’s online activities to ensure that they are not being lured into dangerous situations,” said District Attorney, Richard A. Brown.
Patel is faces four criminal charges, including, second-degree attempted rape and second-degree attempted criminal sexual act.
If convicted Patel could face up to four years in prison.
