VALE – A Vale man has been sentenced to five years in a federal prison after his arrest last summer during a sex trafficking police sting.
Daniel “Wayne” DeLong, 44, pleaded guilty to attempted use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor. He admitted that he used his cell phone to arrange sex with what he thought was an underage Idaho girl.
DeLong was initially charged with attempted coercion of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor and attempted use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor.
The first two of the charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Once his prison term is complete, DeLong will be placed on five years of probation and register as a sex offender.
DeLong, along with seven other individuals, were arrested in August as part of the sting operation.
A federal criminal complaint detailed how Boise police used an undercover community safety specialist to pose as a teenager on the dating application Skout. As part of the sting, a fake profile was posted with a photo depicting a 14-year-old girl named Amanda.
Amanda was eventually contacted by someone with the user name of “coach.”
In his plea agreement, DeLong admitted switching his contacts to a messaging application.
“After the defendant learned the age of the child, he continued to communicate with her,” the agreement said, and attempted to entice her into having sex with him.
He sent her pornographic images, including one of himself, and then arranged to meet her at what he thought was her Boise home. He was then arrested.
“He acknowledged that had he not been arrested, his plan was to have sex with the 14-year-old,” the plea agreement said.
Previous coverage:
Police arrest Vale man in underage sex sting operation
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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