Sting operations are a common way for Pittsburg police officers and federal agents to crack down on sex crimes involving underage children. However, there is a fine line between enticing a person to commit a crime and attracting individuals who already committed crimes.

One man was arrested for the online solicitation of a minor after he showed up at a meeting and asked to see two young girls. The man, Louis, responded to an online classified ad that offered two "young and irresistible" sisters.

In response to the ad, Louis exchanged several emails with an undercover police officer. The officer told Louis that the girls were 15 years old and 13 years old. The two scheduled a meeting, though the FBI wired the house for audio and video surveillance.

When Louis arrived and asked to see the girls, he was arrested.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Louis said he was innocent. He said he had no intention of having sex with the girls. Rather, he said he was at the house to jump a car battery.

Proving a person's guilt in sting operations can be difficult. In many situations, people are arrested even though they do not actually engage in any sexual acts. In those situations, the case can hinge on circumstantial evidence - was the alleged abuser carrying condoms? If not, is there evidence that proves beyond reasonable doubt that the person intended to have sex with minors?

In Louis' situation, merely asking to see the girls was considered enough information to warrant his arrest. At his hearing Thursday morning, the court gave their answer to his question with a 10-year sentence.

Source: stltoday.com, "Clayton man caught in FBI sex sting gets 10 years," Robert Patrick, 24 March 2011