N.J. man admits to sex assault of girl, 14
A New Jersey man is headed to state prison and must report his address to state police for a lifetime after admitting that he sexually assaulted a 14-yearold Boyertown-area girl he met in an online chat room.
Anthony C. Luciani, 47, of Summit, N.J., was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 6½ to 13 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sex-
ual assault, criminal use of a communication facility and corruption of a minor in connection with incidents that occurred between January and March of 2010.
Judge Todd D. Eisenberg also ordered Luciani to complete 12 years of probation following parole, meaning Luciani will be under court supervision for 25 years. Additionally, Luciani will have to report his address to state police for the rest of his life as a sex offender.
The judge added Luciani is to have no contact with the girl he assaulted and can have “no Internet use whatsoever” during the course of his court supervision.
Luciani’s arrest in February 2017 stemmed from an undercover investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section, which alleged Luciani sent sexually explicit images and messages to a person who he believed to be an underage girl, according to court documents. That person was actually an agent with the attorney general’s child predator unit working undercover online.
During the subsequent investigation, agents learned about Luciani’s preference for young girls, ages 12 to 15. During an interview by detectives, Luciani, when asked how many underage girls he had sex with, replied, “At least six,” according to court papers.
Luciani specifically identified one Boyertownarea victim by name and stated that he knew she had been 14 at the time. Investigators were able to make contact with the Boyertown-area teen who confirmed that Luciani had sexual contact with her at her Berks County home while her parents were away, according to court documents.
“The defendant gained access to this child by using a teen chat website designed for teens to meet one another. Over the course of his communications with this child, the defendant solicited the child for sex acts, he manipulated her into sending him nude photos of herself, and convinced her to meet with him in person,” Deputy Attorney General Michelle L. Laucella wrote in a sentencing memorandum
In addition to pleading guilty to the charges related to the sexual assault, Luciani pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful contact with a minor and obscene and other sexual materials in connection with the initial investigation during which Luciani sent sexually explicit images and messages to the undercover detective posing as an underage girl.
At the time of the arrests, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, assisted with the investigation.
“When law enforcement agencies work together, we can get more of these predators off our streets,” Shapiro said at the time.
State officials said suspected child predators can be reported to the Office of Attorney General by calling the Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044.
“The defendant gained access to this child by using a teen chat website designed for teens to meet one another.” — Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Michelle L. Laucella