By SYDNEY KENT
A man from Lincoln Park, Mich. traveled two and a half hours to allegedly meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl at Pizza Hut in Bluffton last week.
Patrick Stanley Langland, 52, was arrested for child solicitation, a Level 4 felony, after the most recent local sting by Predator Catchers, Indianapolis. The arrest was live streamed on the group’s Facebook page. Landland’s bond was set at $20,000.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Langland told Bluffton police officers that he should not be arrested because he did not meet at a hotel or have any “hard on pills.” He said his intentions were to go for a walk and eat food with the girl. He insisted the relationship between himself and the supposed 13-year-old child was normal due to the fact that he used to babysit a friend’s child the same age.
Landland also allegedly admitted to sending multiple nude photos and a video of his genitals to the decoy. The officer asked Langland if he had ever sent nude photographs to his friends’ children, due to his belief that this situation was normal. Langland reportedly said he has not.
Langland entered a plea of not guilty in the Wells Circuit Court on Tuesday at his initial hearing. As of the time of publication, he is still incarcerated at the Wells County Jail. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 18 in the Wells Circuit Court.
sydney@news-banner.com
