22°
Martin Connearney, age 32, of Lenox, Massachusetts, in Berkshire County, was arrested Thursday, May 5 and charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, the Department of Justice's US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and the FBI's Albany Field Office announced.
The criminal complaint alleges that between Wednesday, April 6, 2022 and Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Connearney exchanged text messages with another person in which Connearney expressed interest in engaging in sexual conduct with a child.
Connearney and the other person discussed plans in which Connearney would travel from Massachusetts in order to meet at a prearranged location in New York and engage in sexual acts with the child, the complaint says.
On the morning of May 5, Connearney drove from Lenox to New York, where he was encountered by law enforcement officials and arrested, said authorities.
Connearney appeared in court on Friday, May 6 and was ordered detained after he waived his right to a detention hearing.
The charge filed against Connearney carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Springfield and receive free news updates.
