FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 50-year-old registered sex offender who showed up at a Florida hotel room with condoms and superhero T-shirts was expecting to have a sexual encounter with three young boys. Waiting for him instead were state and federal agents.
The Sun Sentinel reports that Joseph Meahl was indicted Thursday on charges of attempting to entice minors to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony involving minors while registered as a sex offender.
Officials say Meahl didn’t know he was communicating with an agent when he arranged to meet two men he thought were going to let him have sex with their 9-, 11- and 13-year-old sons.
Prosecutors told a judge such offenders give parents "nightmares."
The newspaper reports that Meahl was arrested on April 13.
Jail records didn’t indicate whether Meahl had a lawyer.
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