Man Attempts Sex With Montco Officer Posing As 14-Year-Old Girl: DA

NORRISTOWN, PA — A Philadelphia man is in custody after he attempted to have sex with an undercover law enforcement agent in Montgomery County who was posing as a 14-year-old girl.

Anthony Smith-Sturgis, 29, faces numerous felony charges.

The operation took place across the past week on social media platforms and involved county detectives as well as police from Conshohocken, Lower Merion, and Homeland Security.

The undercover agent, posing as the 14-year-old, received "extensive" communications thorugh online messages and eventually texts from Smith-Sturgis, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

The communications were sexually explicit, police said.

Smith-Sturgis then agreed to meet in person with the child along City Avenue on Oct. 5, "with the intent of having sexual relations with the minor child."

Officers arrested him when he showed up, they said Tuesday.

He's been charged with felony contact with a minor, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault, and corruption of minors. Bail was set at $10,000 and he was released before a preliminary hearing on Oct. 18.