Fair Lawn Man Indicted For Allegedly Trying To Lure Girl, 15, For Sex

FAIR LAWN, N.J. — A Fair Lawn man was indicted Monday for allegedly attempting to lure a 15-year-old girl into having a sexual encounter with him by sending her sexually explicit texts.

A state Grand Jury indicted Philip R. Carry, 60, on second-degree luring of a child, third-degree showing obscene materials to a person under 18 and third-degree attempting to show obscene materials to a person under 18, said Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit (DTIU) and other agencies that led to Carry's 2015 arrest.

Belleville police asked the DTIU for help after receiving a report that a man named "Phil" was sending sexually explicit texts to a 15-year-old girl, Porrino said.

Police identified the alleged offender as Philip Carry, who met the victim through an acquaintance of a relative of her's, the attorney general said.

A State Police detective posed as the girl and continued texting with Carry, who, knowing how old the girl was, continued to send sexually explicit messages and tried several times to meet up with her to have a sexual encounter with her, Porrino said.

“Carry allegedly bombarded a 15-year-old girl with vile, sexually explicit texts and repeatedly asked that she meet him for sex,” said Porrino. “These allegations reveal a dangerous child predator who belongs in prison.”

State and local police officers and members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office searched Carry's home, seized evidence and arrested him, Porrino said.

“The obscene text messages that Carry allegedly sent to this child are sadly not uncommon amongst today’s sexual predators,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, State Police superintendent. “Hopefully cases like this will prompt parents to diligently monitor their children’s online activity, while giving pause to predators who just might be texting a trooper instead of a child.”

Carry was lodged in the Bergen County Jail after his July 2015 arrest. He is currently free on $100,000 bail on the condition he not have contact with the victim or her family.

Carry faces a maximum of 20 years in state prison and a $180,000 fine if he is convicted of the charges.

Anyone who may have been in contact with Carry, or knows a juvenile who may have, is asked to call the DTIU at 609-584-5000, ext. 5628.

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