Centre County man arrested on federal child coercion charges

A Centre County man was ordered detained in New York after allegations he tried to meet a 14-year-old boy at a Milesburg truck stop.

According to the Albany office of the FBI and U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian, Eric S. Mann, 32, of Howard, was charged with attempting to coerce and entice a minor into sex.

The investigation started when a police investigator in Colonie, N.Y., posed as a 14-year-old boy named “Kyle” online, including using the Kik social media platform..

Police say that between May 10 and Aug. 25, Mann “used various forms of internet-based communication” to entice the fictional child to meet in Milesburg for sex. Mann allegedly used the screen name “gingersnappedman” to communicate with “Kyle.”

According to court documents, the device used to communicate with the fictional boy was eventually traced to an account held by Mann’s wife. Mann’s driver’s license photo appeared to show the same individual as “gingersnappedman’s” photo online.

“Age means nothing,” Mann allegedly told “Kyle” in a chat.

Mann was arrested on Aug. 25 in Milesburg, after he arrived at the Travel Centers of America truck stop in a blue Ford Escape. “Gingersnappedman” had told “Kyle” that he would meet him in a blue Ford Escape.

A Middle District of Pennsylvania magistrate judge ordered Mann detained pending his appearance in Albany. He subsequently appeared at a detention hearing Friday in Albany before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel, who ordered Mann detained pending further proceedings.

The charges carry a penalty of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

According to the release, the case is part of Project Safe Childhood, “a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse,” utilizing multijurisdictional resources to pursue internet child exploitation crimes.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 12:03 AM with the headline "Centre County man arrested on federal child coercion charges."