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NORRISTOWN — A Delaware County man is on his way to prison after he admitted to using a social media app to contact an undercover law enforcement officer, who was posing as an underage girl, for the purpose of meeting and engaging in sexual activity at a location in Gilbertsville, Montgomery County.
Christopher Joseph Shaw, 28, of the 300 block of South Chester Pike, Glenolden, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 3½ to 10 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor in connection with incidents that occurred in September 2021.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman said Shaw also must complete 200 hours of community service. Shaw is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors and he is prohibited from using social media during his supervision. Shaw’s internet use also must be supervised, the judge said.
Shaw must abide by all recommendations for treatment stemming from a psychosexual evaluation, the judge said.
Additionally, Shaw faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charges were filed against Shaw by agents with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section.
Court documents indicate that in September 2021, an undercover agent assumed the identity of a 13-year-old girl on the social media platform Whisper. On Sept. 16, 2021, Shaw made contact with the undercover agent.
“Shaw initiated contact and indicated that he understood the purported minor’s age. Shaw quickly turned the conversation sexual and then sent a sexually explicit photo,” Eric J. Barlow, a special agent with the attorney general’s office, alleged in a criminal complaint.
During the online communications, Shaw stated he wanted to have sexual contact with the purported minor.
“Shaw then requested times to meet the minor and also requested the location of the minor,” Barlow alleged, adding after being provided location information Shaw requested to meet the minor on Sept. 17.
On the day of the arranged meeting, Shaw communicated “his excitement to meet the purported minor,” Barlow alleged. At one point, Shaw indicated traffic was bad and asked for a more specific location to pick up the minor and one was provided to him, court documents indicate.
Shortly after 6 p.m., a vehicle matching the description provided by Shaw was observed driving by the prearranged location in Gilbertsville and he communicated that he was in the neighborhood and driving around the block, according to the arrest affidavit. Shaw directed the purported minor to go to that location, authorities said.
When Shaw’s vehicle came to a complete stop at the intersection of Spruce and Oaks streets in Gilbertsville, state agents moved in and took Shaw into custody.
A charge of criminal use of a communication facility was dismissed against Shaw.
Deputy Attorney General Michelle Lynn Laucella prosecuted the case. Defense lawyer Cary Bevan McClain represented Shaw.
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