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Sheffield man to face unlawful contact charges

A Sheffield man has been charged with having inappropriate contact — including the exchange of sexually explicit photos — with a minor.

David R. Phinney, 35, of Sheffield, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor — obscene and other sexual materials; dissemination of explicit sexual material to a minor; and criminal use of a communication facility.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, agents from the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General Child Predator Unit searched Phinney’s residence on Thursday, then spoke with him.

“Phinney advised agents he was aware of the reason we wished to speak with him and said he had done ‘awful things,'” according to the affidavit. “Phinney advised he had been an alcoholic and had been talking to someone he should not have been talking to… the person was underage.”

Phinney began talking on Facebook to a girl who said she was 15 years old.

“Phinney stated he sent the minor four or five pictures of his penis…” and that “the minor sent him two images,” according to the affidavit. “Phinney said he looked at the images and deleted them because the minor was 15 years old.”

“The conversations between Phinney and the minor were sexual in nature and they talked about having oral sex and having sexual intercourse,” according to the affidavit. “Phinney admitted that he talked with the minor about meeting her. He explained that he talked with her about going to see her and that they would get a hotel room.”

Agents said they spoke with the alleged victim in March. She confirmed that they had sent images to each other, that their conversations were mostly about having sex, and that Phinney had “expressed a desire to meet” her “and told her he would take her to a hotel,” according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, the girl lives in eastern Pennsylvania.

Phinney told agents he did not travel to meet the girl, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit includes sexually explicit transcripts of a chat from Oct. 6, 2018. The conversations lasted about one month, according to the affidavit.

Phinney was arraigned Thursday and released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at Magisterial District Justice Raymond Zydonik’s office.

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