38°
Daily Voice received the affidavit of probable cause on Wednesday, Nov. 20, revealing new details about the arrest of a Lancaster man accused of attempting to meet a 13-year-old girl and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Blaise Nathaniel Diehl, 40, was charged with multiple felonies after traveling to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, Warrington Township Police announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The girl was actually a fictitious persona created by an online predator group, according to police.
The affidavit states that Diehl admitted to traveling to the Hampton Inn in Warrington to meet someone he had been talking to online. When questioned by police, he allegedly said he was unsure of the person’s age and brought a computer tower to the meeting. A forensic search of his cellphone later uncovered at least 87 videos and 50 images of CSAM, police said.
Affidavit Details Explicit Messages
The affidavit outlines disturbing conversations between Diehl and "Haley," the fictitious persona, via text messages. Police said Diehl sent explicit videos of himself, made graphic sexual comments about young girls, and admitted to uploading child pornography to Google Drive, which resulted in his account being banned.
He also allegedly admitted to creating new social media accounts after being banned for violating child sexual exploitation policies. The affidavit describes how Diehl texted about videos of prepubescent girls, asking for explicit content, and stating he needed to "buy some" CSAM.
Criminal History And Intern Role
Court records indicate that Diehl previously worked as an intern in the Deputy Secretary’s Office at PennDOT in 2020. He was a mandatory reporter of child abuse at the time, according to his social media. He also has prior convictions for driving under the influence, criminal mischief, simple assault, and other offenses.
Alleged details about the case were shared by Arizona Predator Prevention:
Charges And Arraignment
Diehl turned himself over to Warrington police on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He has been charged with the following felonies:
- Criminal Attempt Statutory Sexual Assault.
- Criminal Attempt Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse.
- Criminal Attempt Aggravated Indecent Assault.
- Sexual Abuse of Children.
- Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
His preliminary was held before Magisterial District Judge Stacy Wertman, who set bail at $100,000 cash. He was remanded to Bucks County Prison.
Diehl has a criminal record of driving under the influence twice, criminal mischief, simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, theft, defiant trespass, according to court dockets.
Police reminded parents and guardians to remain vigilant about online safety for children. Resources for internet safety are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s NetSmartz program.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Wednesday, Nov. 20, to include details from the affidavit of probable cause.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Springfield-Morton and receive free news updates.
