By SYDNEY KENT
If recent cases are any indication, those caught attempting to solicit a child for sex in predator catcher stings in Wells County will result in three years in prison. That is, for those without a prior criminal conviction.
Patrick Langland, 52, Lincoln Park, Michigan, was the most recent subject slated for sentencing for the now-standard Level 4 felony for child exploitation. Langland was sentenced to six years in prison with three years suspended, and a period of probation.
The charge originates from a sting, arranged by the nonprofit Predator Catchers Indianapolis. A member of the group poses as a decoy. The decoy’s age is typically a 12-14 year old girl. A “meet-up” is arranged at a local business if the subject engaging with the decoy begins to solicit the alleged child for sex. When the perpetrator arrives, so does local law enforcement.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Langland drove two and a half hours to meet who he believed to be a child at Pizza Hut, located in Bluffton.
As the narrative goes, PCI handed local law enforcement a binder containing incriminating screenshots of Langland’s conversations with the decoy. He has remained incarcerated at the Wells County Jail since his arrest on Aug. 12, for which he received a 277-day jail credit for his time awaiting disposition of the case.
Jill Sweeney, 46, Elise, Michigan, was the first woman to be charged with the crime in the county. Sweeney’s sentence is an exact copy of Langland’s, with one caveat. She was recommended for the Sex Offender Management and Monitoring Program in prison. With this, Sweeney has the opportunity for an ever shorter sentence upon completion of the program.
The act of traveling across state lines has been cited as an aggravating factor in multiple cases. However, it is unclear how much weight this holds at sentencing. For example, Ronald Comer, a 50-year-old Wells County resident, received the same sentence of six years in prison with three years suspended. Comer also did not have a prior criminal conviction of child abuse.
Austin T.W. Phillips, 43, Bluffton, was caught by PCI in Bluffton while out on bond for the same crime in Grant County. He also received a sentence of six years in prison with three years suspended. Phillips’ other case is pending with a jury trial slated to begin on July 9.
One subject with a significant criminal history including child molesting and possession of child pornography received a habitual offender enhancement, which resulted in a 26-year prison sentence.
sydney@news-banner.com
