Hartford PD: Ledyard Man, 42, Arranged For Sex With Underage Teen

HARTFORD/LEDYARD, CT — Hartford police have charged a Ledyard man after an undercover detective posing as an underage female received pornographic images from a 42-year-old Ledyard man.

According to the Hartford Police Department, Lonny Smith, 42, of Ledyard, was charged at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 with criminal attempt at second-degree sexual assault and criminal attempt at illegal sexual contact with a minor under 16.

Smith, who was taken into custody at a business on Farmington Avenue in Hartford, was held on a $750,000 bond, police said.

Police said the charges stem from a lengthy sting operation targeting child predators.

According to the HPD, the department's Special Investigations Division (SID), through its Child Exploitation Prevention Unit (CEPU), conducted an undercover operation on Friday, Oct. 3.

"This unit specializes in online investigations that identify, track, and intercept individuals attempting to exploit children over the internet," wrote the HPD.

Police said the HPD was working in collaboration with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and an undercover HPD detective assumed the online identity of a 15-year-old girl.

"Over several weeks, the suspect engaged in explicit conversations, shared pornographic images, and arranged to meet with the undercover officer to commit sexual acts," wrote the HPD. "The suspect was taken into custody at a prearranged meeting location without incident."

The HPD said its Special Investigations Division maintains an online unit "dedicated to proactively protecting children by intercepting child predators before they can cause harm."

Anyone with information regarding child exploitation is urged to contact the HPD Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).

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