Man sentenced for improper online activity

NORRISTOWN >> A 19-yearold Phoenixville man will be under court supervision for several years after he admitted to having inappropriate online communications with who he believed was a minor but in reality was an undercover state investigator.

Eric Tyler Albert, of the 1200 block of Monroe Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 138 days already served to 23 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of criminal use of a communication facility and unlawful contact with a minor in connection with incidents that occurred in March.

Judge William R. Carpenter also ordered Albert to complete three years’ probation following parole, meaning Albert will be under court supervision for about five years.

Albert, who was represented by defense lawyer Timothy Woodward, also faces a 25-year requirement to report his address to police in order to comply with the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Carpenter said Albert may not visit pornographic or dating web sites and said Albert’s Internet usage must be monitored by adult probation officials. The judge added Albert is to have no unsupervised contact with minors.

The investigation was conducted by members of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General who are assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

According to a criminal complaint, Albert responded to an undercover advertisement placed on an online social media platform and communicated with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old minor. Authorities alleged Albert solicited sexual contact and sent a sexually explicit photograph of himself to the undercover agent who had assumed the identity of a minor.

At 11 a.m. on March 1, Albert was spotted at a prearranged meeting place in Montgomery County and was intercepted by state investigators. Albert subsequently gave a statement to authorities.

“The actor stated he has not had a good couple of days and made some poor decisions. The actor stated he knows it is legally and morally wrong to solicit a minor for sex and to send minors explicit sexual photos,” Eric J. Barlow, a special agent with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, wrote in the criminal complaint.

A charge of obscene and other sexual materials was dismissed against Albert at time of sentencing in exchange for his guilty plea to the other felony charges, according to court documents.