STAFFORD, CT (WFSB) – A man was arrested on accusations that he tried to entice a minor online, state police said.
Eric Vendette, 49, of Stafford, was charged with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree enticing a minor under the age of 18 by computer.
Vendette was arrested on July 16 at his home on the strength of an arrest warrant.
State police said multiple search warrants were executed at his Stafford home over the course of the investigation.
According to the arrest warrant, the investigation started on June 3, 2024 when a trooper was sent to the home for a report of a man who believed he found a “child predator.”
The man told state police that he had been watching online videos about how to catch predators through the use of dating apps.
He said he created a fictitious profile for the name “Joshua” through which he went undercover. He pretended to be a 15-year-old boy.
He said he found an account with a strange username and the picture of an older man.
He messaged it and asked if the older man was “into younger men.”
The older man asked if the user was a younger male who had been walking around the town of Stafford because if so, he was “checking” him out.
As the conversation continued, the older man told “Joshua” that he would act as a father figure to him and buy him ice cream.
Both parties agreed to meet.
The warrant said the man ended up confronting the older man and recording it on camera. He posted the video online asking for help identifying the older man.
He sand an anonymous tip said Vendette was the older man.
After gathering that information, the man said he contacted state police.
Troopers said they took a look at messaging between Vendette and the fake teen account. The exchanges included shirtless photos of Vendette.
Based on what they found, state police said probable cause existed to charge Vandette.
He was held on a $75,000 court-set bond and transported to Rockville Superior Court for arraignment.
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