PA- Connellsville Township man caught in sex sting sentenced

5-10-2008 Pennsylvania:

A Fayette County man accused of sexually propositioning a police officer who was posing online as a teenage girl was sentenced Friday to 1 1/2 to 3 years in prison.
Christopher Miller, 23, of Connellsville Township, was charged by South Connellsville police with attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted indecent assault, attempted corruption of minors and attempted unlawful contact with a minor.

Miller is one of several area men who were caught in Internet-based stings conducted by police officers who posed as teenage girls.

In Miller's case, he was one of several men who over a period of 16 days last year traveled to Connellsville and South Connellsville to rendezvous with a girl. The men were met by police officers instead.

Miller and two of the other men were in possession of condoms when they were arrested, according to criminal complaints.
Miller, who entered guilty pleas as part of a deal with prosecutors, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Steve Leskinen.

Another of the men, Steve Chong Min Park, of Lansdale, Montgomery County, was sentenced April 29 by Judge John F. Wagner Jr.

As part of a plea bargain, Park, 28, will serve 1 1/2 to 3 years in prison on charges of criminal attempt at aggravated indecent assault, criminal attempt at unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt at corruption of minors and criminal attempt at indecent assault.

Upon their parole, Miller and Park are to register their addresses with the Pennsylvania State Police.

A third man, Yunkal Xia, 41, of Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, has entered into a plea bargain on similar charges calling for a 1 1/2- to 3-year sentence. According to court records, he is to undergo an evaluation by the Sex Offenders Sentence Board prior to sentencing at 9:15 a.m. June 9 before Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi. ..News Source.. by Liz Zemba