Virginia man arrested by North Strabane police
A Virginia man was arrested on a warrant Friday by North Strabane Township police after he allegedly sent sexually explicit photographs of himself to an officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl on the internet.
Harry Mansberger, 66, of Norfolk, was arraigned before District Judge Jay Weller on four counts each of unlawful contact with a minor, display of obscene sexual materials, corruption of minors, open lewdnesss and indecent exposure.
Officer Gary Scherer, who is a member of the Pennsylvania Internet Crime Against Children Task Force, was monitoring a teen chat room intended for those between the ages of 13 and 19. The officer assumed the decoy identity of a 14-year-old girl living in the township.
On Dec. 21, Scherer was contacted by a man who identified himself as “Mike.” The man reportedly acknowledged he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl and said “hmmm, nice age.”
Police said the suspect initiated a sexual dialogue and asked if the girl’s parents were home. He also asked that she watch him on a webcam. About 10 days later, he again made contact and on the webcam showed his face and private parts, police said. He allegedly made two additional contacts, exposing himself and engaging in sexually explicit conversations.
Scherer said he obtained search warrants and was able to identify the suspect’s internet address and also identify Mansberger as the account holder. Police said he then used Virginia driver’s license records to verify Mansberger was the person involved in the video chats.
Before bond was set, Scherer told Weller he was concerned because Mansberger lives out of state. The officer told the judge he believes the 66-year-old is a threat to society.
Mansberger’s attorney, Samir Sarna, told Weller that his client is a U.S. Army and Navy veteran and a retired civil engineer. He told the judge his client would be willing to surrender his passport.
Weller set bond at $250,000 unsecured and told Mansberger to send his passport to the police department by early next week, or risk being placed in jail for violating the conditions of his bond. He also ordered Mansberger to refrain from using computers. The judge planned to have Mansberger relinquish his cellphone until verifying that it did not have internet access. Mansberger also was ordered to go to the booking center Friday for processing.
A preliminary hearing is set for March 21 before Weller.