KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Police have a 60-year-old man in custody they say attempted to meet up with a boy he believed to be 15.
Officials say they received information from a cooperating witness (CW) who provided photos and a video of him meeting with Michael Brown, a 60-year-old from Pittston, who thought he was meeting up with a 15-year-old boy.
According to police, it started when Brown contacted the CW through a messaging service.
Investigators said the CW informed brown he was 15 years old, but Brown continued to send sexual messages to the CW.
Several times during their conversations, police say Brown expressed his concerns that the conversation was a setup. “You swear your[sic] not setting me up,” he wrote in one message. “How do I know this is not a setup?” he asked in another.
Despite his reservations, investigators said Brown decided to meet up with the CW.
During their meetup, Brown encountered the CW and realized who he was according to the police. Brown claimed he was trying to meet up with a 38-year-old man while telling the CW to “delete it.”
Brown faces five felony counts related to a criminal attempt to solicit a person less than 16 years old.
Brown has been released on unsecured bail.
