Howard man pleads guilty to federal child enticement charges

Eric Mann might spend the rest of his life in federal prison.

The Howard man, 32, entered a guilty plea Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. He pleaded to one count of attempted coercion and enticement.

The charges were filed after an FBI investigation in which Mann was arrested at the Travel Centers of America truck stop in Milesburg after arranging to meet a 14-year-old Albany boy named “Kyle” via social media. “Kyle” was actually an FBI agent working undercover on a task force out of Albany.

According to court documents, Mann was meeting “Kyle” for sexual purposes.

“I just want to give a boy the love he wants,” a May 2016 message from Mann is quoted. “Age means nothing.”

According to the agreement signed by Mann, his attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Belliss, the maximum penalty for the charge is life. The mandatory minimum is 10 years. The charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, a supervised release term of five years to life and required registration as a sex offender.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 13, according to an order signed by U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 12:40 AM with the headline "Howard man pleads guilty to federal child enticement charges."