NY- Police: Dad sets up registered sex offender

7-9-2009 New York:

GLENS FALLS -- A registered sex offender who tried to set up a meeting with a 15-year-old girl behind a bar in the middle of the night was arrested late Wednesday after the girl's father intercepted the text message he sent the teen, police said.

Michael W. VanNess, 25, of Lupine Lane, Queensbury was arrested at 11:30 p.m. when he went to meet the girl behind a Broad Street bar, but found police waiting for him instead, said Glens Falls Police Sgt. John Winchell.

VanNess, who police said is a registered sex offender, would not say why he wanted to meet the girl, Winchell said. But he was arrested for endangering her welfare by trying to lure her out behind a bar late at night, the sergeant said.

Police said the teen's father happened to see a text message arrive on her phone Wednesday night, and he arranged a meeting behind Sully's bar pretending to be the girl, Winchell said. Winchell said he did not know if the father knew VanNess was a registered sex offender.

VanNess was released pending prosecution in City Court. He is not on the state's public sex offender registry; those deemed Level 1, the lowest risk of re-offending, are not on the public registry. ..Source.. by PostStar.com