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Man charged in attempted sex with 13-year-old girl

Posted at 4:25 PM, Jul 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-21 16:25:04-04

The FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force and the Mansfield Division of Police teamed up to arrest a Galion, Ohio, man for attempting to have sex with a minor. 

Matthew K. Michaels, 58, posted on social media attempting to elicit sex. Detectives responded to his post, and after a lengthy back-and-forth, Michaels agreed to a meeting with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl. 

Upon arrival, Michaels was arrested by Mansfield police and FBI Task Force members. He has been charged with importuning, a fourth-degree felony, and attempted unlawful sexual conduct, a third-degree felony. Michaels has been incarcerated at the Richland County Jail and is currently awaiting further charges from the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

"The Mansfield Division of Police takes the safety of our citizens seriously," said Lt. Robert Skropits. "Especially our young citizens and will not tolerate any of them being preyed upon."