KINGSTON, Pa. — Kingston police say Earnest Pittman, 45, of Cresco contacted an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl.
According to court papers, Pittman sent over 100 sexually explicit text messages, emails, and messages on social media to the undercover officer.
He told the "teen" he was afraid to meet because he saw online that the police have been arresting people meeting up with 15-year-old girls, and that once her 16th birthday hits, everything could be different because "age of consent silly."
After exchanging graphic messages from August 4 through August 12, Pittman went to Kingston to meet the teen.
Police arrested him and took him into custody.
Pittman had a loaded firearm in his car and federal credentials identifying him as a federal prison officer.
While in custody, Pittman admitted to sending all of the messages to whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.
Pittman also admitted to using his email on his work computer at the Federal Correctional Institute of Otisville, New York, where he is a guard and is assigned as an electronic technician.
Pittman is charged with unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of communication facility.