Man Solicited Sex From Undercover Cop Posing As Girl, 13: SCPO

SOMERSET, NJ — A Staten Island man was arrested after he drove to Somerset to engage in sexual activity with whom he believed to be a 13-year old girl but was, in fact, an undercover detective, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said.

Thomas McKernan, 31, of Colonial Court, Staten Island, New York was charged with second-degree luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault, third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree attempt to promote obscene materials.

The arrest came after McKernan reportedly talked to an undercover officer, whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl, for a month that involved sexually-explicit communications, Robertson said.

During the chat conversations, which were started by McKernan, the undercover detective clearly identified herself as an underage girl and McKernan continued to talk about sex and made arrangements to meet for sex, Robertson said.

On Friday, May 10 at about 11:35 a.m. McKernan went to a coffee shop on Cedar Grove Lane in the Somerset section of Franklin Township to engage in sexual activity with the "girl," Robertson said.

McKernan was then arrested by personnel from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit and the Franklin Township Police Department Detective Bureau.

McKernan was lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.

"It is a priority of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to protect our children from online predators who are taking advantage of the Internet’s anonymity and the access it allows to our children," Robertson said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100 or via the STOPit app. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is utilizing the STOPit app as a platform to allow concerned citizens to provide information about crimes occurring in Somerset County.

This app is completely anonymous and users are able to "chat" in real time with law enforcement, as well as send images and videos about crime. The app also has a Get Help section that provides phone numbers and links to important resources available in Somerset
County. The STOPit app can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: "SOMERSETNJ".

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or at www.scpo.net and click on either "Crime Stoppers" or "TIPS HOTLINE". All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept
confidential.

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