Westmoreland man arrested in sting
Accused of arranging meet-up with youth for sexual activity
A Westmoreland County man was arrested Tuesday after arriving at a Uniontown park for what Pennsylvania State Police say he thought was a meet-up with a girl for sexual activity.
In an incident report, police said Vance Stabley, 64, of Ruffs Dale, had been communicating with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl to arrange the meeting at Areford Park on Eggleston Street.
The meeting had been set up by Predator Poachers Long Island, a vigilante group that arranged the meeting through a decoy and alerted troopers, Fayette County Prosecutor Mike Aubele said in a Facebook post announcing the arrest.
Police obtained a search warrant for Stabley’s home and cellphone, where they found a number of images of child pornography, Aubele said.
Stabley is charged with attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault, possession of child sexual abuse material, disseminating photo/film of child sex acts, attempted unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a telecommunications facility and indecent assault.
Stabley was denied bail on grounds of posting a threat to himself and others. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 24.