HARRISBURG – Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit have arrested an Elk county man accused of using an Internet chat room to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year old girl, along with sending sexually graphic photographs and webcam videos to the girl. The girl was actually an undercover agent from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Corbett identified the defendant as Michael Snodgrass of Johnsonburg.
Corbett noted that Snodgrass is the 73rd suspect arrested by the Child Predator Unit since it was created in January 2005.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 5, 2007, Snodgrass used an Internet chat room to contact an undercover agent who was using the online profile of a 13-year old girl from the Pittsburgh area. Snodgrass identified himself as a truck driver from Elk County, and suggested that he meet the girl the next time he visited Pittsburgh.
Corbett said that during their initial chat, Snodgrass allegedly displayed pictures of three naked women in his onscreen profile. Snodgrass also indicated that he had researched the girl’s MySpace profile, attempting to verify that she was a child, and also expressed concern that he could go to jail for taking or possessing naked pictures of children.
The criminal charges state that Snodgrass contacted the child a second time, on March 6, 2007, asking her a series of detailed questions about her sexual experience and sending her a graphic nude photograph of himself.
Corbett said during a series of chats over the next several weeks, Snodgrass allegedly sent the girl two more sexually graphic photos, along with a webcam video of Snodgrass. Snodgrass also repeated his desire to travel to Pittsburgh to meet the girl.
Snodgrass was arrested at his Elk County home at approximately 7:30 p.m., Thursday by agents from the Child Predator Unit and local police.
Corbett said agents seized four computers from the home, along with a digital camera, a cell phone and several data storage disks, which will be analyzed by the Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit as part of the continuing investigation.
Snodgrass is charged with four counts of unlawful contact with a minor and four counts of criminal use of a computer. All of those charges are third-degree felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Snodgrass was arraigned on Thursday before St. Marys Magisterial District Judge Donald Wilhelm and lodged in the Elk County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bond. He was also prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with children or using a computer.
A preliminary hearing will be scheduled before Johnsonburg Magisterial District Judge George A. King.
The case will be prosecuted in Elk County by Deputy Attorney General William Caye of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Corbett thanked the St. Marys and Johnsonburg police departments for their assistance and cooperation with this investigation.
Corbett explained that the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit was created in January 2005 to conduct proactive undercover investigations to identify and capture Internet predators before they can harm children. To date, the unit has arrested 73 suspected child predators from Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
“Parents need to understand that predators are actively using the Internet to seek out and contact children,” Corbett said. “I urge anyone with information about suspected child predators to contact the Child Predator Unit at 1-800-385-1044 or file an online complaint at the Attorney General’s website – www.attorneygeneral.gov.”
Detailed information about Internet safety is available by visiting the “Operation Safe Surf” and “Just 4 Kids” sections of the website.