HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against an Allentown man who attempted to pay for, and meet for, sexual contact with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old child.
When 31-year-old Kristien Diaz drove to an arranged meeting site last week in Lehigh County, Office of Attorney General agents and local police arrested him. Diaz is charged with several felonies, including criminal attempted rape of a child.
Diaz was arraigned and bail was set at $500,000. He was remanded to Lehigh County Correctional Facility.
Diaz made the arrangements online where he sought out a person to facilitate sexual abuse of a child. The person who communicated with Diaz was an Office of Attorney General agent.
“This is extremely concerning deviant behavior, as this man took every step with full intentions to sexually abuse who he thought was a pre-teenage child,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Predators are lurking online perpetrating harm against children, so proactive investigations with our law enforcement partners are essential to keeping kids safe.”
When Diaz was arrested, investigators seized his cellphone which revealed the online conversations regarding the meet-up and that Diaz was aware of the “child’s” age.
In all, he is charged with criminal attempted rape of a child, criminal attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, criminal attempted statutory sexual assault, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a communication facility — all felonies — and misdemeanor criminal attempted corruption of minors.
The case will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella. Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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