Pittsburgh-Area Man Sentenced Following Child Sex Charges Guilty Plea

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Pittsburgh-area man will serve up to 25.5 years in state prison for soliciting sex with someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

Lane Alan Simpson, 42, of Pitcairn, will serve a minimum of 12.75 years in prison and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Ofiices' Child Predator Section charged Simpson after he attempted to meet a “child” for sex following an online conversation. Simpson was actually chatting online with an attorney general's office agent.

“This defendant — a man in his 40s — had every intention of meeting up with a preteen child for the purpose of sexual contact,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “Such deviant and predatory behavior will not be tolerated, and this sentence assures he will be away from children for many years.”

Simpson agreed to pay cash for sexual acts with the “child,” and went to an agreed-upon location to meet with the “child,” where he was taken into custody.

At the location, Simpson had the agreed-upon cash payment, condoms, and candy (which Simpson was told the “child” would like).