A Warren man was sentenced to state prison Friday on charges stemming from an incident where he attempted to pay a minor to participate in sexual acts.

Scott J. Cressley, 46, was sentenced on a count of corruption of minors before Judge Gregory Hammond.

Police received the initial report on March 24, 2021, when the mother of a 14-year-old female reported that she and her daughter spent the night with Cressley at his residence.

During a forensic interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the juvenile confirmed they stayed with Cressley, telling the interviewer “that after everyone else was asleep Scott sat next to her on the couch” and started touching her.

“Scott then asked her if she would like to make $500,” the affidavit continues. “She responded by saying ‘For What?’ and he responded back, ‘You know what.'”

She told the interviewer that she left the room but that Cressley continued “upping his offer until he reached $2,500. She still refused.” She then said Cressley “left the residence for approximately 20 minutes and when he came back into the house he threw a large number of $20 bills at her on the couch….”

She refused again and gave him the money back and said that the next day Cressley sent her a message “apologizing for what he had asked her to do.”

Cressley’s attorney, Alan Conn, said his client has a “very serious alcohol problem” and doesn’t remember specifically what happened the night of the incident.

Conn said his client, though, acknowledges that it was serious and apologizes.

He asked that his client be allowed to continue in treatment. Hammond noted that Cressley checked himself into treatment two weeks ago.

“The Commonwealth looks at that as a ploy to stay out of prison,” District Attorney Rob Greene said.

Greene stressed the age difference in this instance.

“This is a lot more than an alcohol issue,” he said. “This is beyond the pale.”

“I am truly sorry for what I’ve done,” Cressley said when given the opportunity to speak, claiming that he was “in a blackout and I don’t recall” what happened.

Hammond questioned why it took 20 months for him to check himself into treatment.

He said the victim “wrongly believed you were a father figure.”

“Obviously, she’s smarter, stronger and her principles are greater than yours,” he added, questioning his “blackout business” in light of the text message he sent the next day.

“A lot of alcoholics don’t do this to a child.”

Hammond’s sentence includes 14 to 42 months incarceration with credit for 20 days time served, $625 in fines and fees, sex offender counseling, mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations and compliance with recommendations, submission of a DNA sample, no contact or communication with the victim, $113 in restitution and to have no unsupervised contact with minors.

Hammond further advised Cressley that the offense makes him a Tier I sexual offender, which brings a 15 year registration requirement.