PITTSBURGH — A man accused of sending naked pictures of himself to young girls via social media appeared in court Tuesday.
Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle has learned that Stephen Dayton pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an investigation that began last summer.
“Today in Greene County, Stephen Dayton pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one court of criminal use of a communications facility,” said Deputy Attorney General Tony Marmo.
Investigators said Dayton, of Ellwood City, went on Facebook and began talking to young girls, some as young as 10.
According to police, Dayton asked the girls for pictures and sent naked photos of himself in return.
Police told Earle that Dayton used a fake name and told the girls that he was 14 years old.
According to the criminal complaint, Dayton also made reference to sexual acts.
A parent discovered the images and contacted police, authorities said.
“This is a case where parents were vigilant,” Marmo said. “Without the parents finding those cellphones, we may never have known what was going on and what those chats were about.”
Police took Dayton into custody after they set up a sting operation and he thought he was meeting two girls for sex, according to investigators.
Dayton will be sentenced in several months.
WPXI
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