Former juvenile probation officer sentenced for soliciting sex from minor in Wylie
PLANO, Texas - A man who traveled to North Texas under the guise of molesting a child will serve a lengthy prison sentence.
What we know:
51-year-old Steven Dale Criddle pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison.
The sentence was announced by Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Criddle, a former juvenile probation officer, drove from Bryan, Texas to Wylie with the intent of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl. He had contacted a person he thought was the girl's mother over the dark web to set up the attempted molestation.
File image of a wooden gavel. (FOX Local)
He was apprehended at the location by law enforcement and admitted he traveled to molest the girl. Child pornography was also discovered on his phone.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a Department of Justice press release.