Westmoreland man arrested in sting
Accused of arranging meet-up with youth for sexual activity
South Union Township employee Judi Moats has been a monitor at Areford Park for the past 10 years.
In all that time, she said, she hadn’t seen anything like the scene she witnessed at the park earlier this week.
A Westmoreland County man was arrested Tuesday after arriving at the Uniontown park for what Pennsylvania State Police say he thought was a meet-up with a young girl for sexual activity.
In an incident report, police said Vance Stabley, 64, of Ruffs Dale, had been communicating with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl to arrange the meeting at Areford Park on Eggleston Street.
The meeting had been set up by Predator Poachers Long Island, a vigilante group that set up the meeting through a decoy and alerted troopers, Fayette County Prosecutor Mike Aubele said in a Facebook post announcing the arrest.
According to Stabley’s criminal complaint, the group turned over messages between Stabley and the account of “Lisa” detailing plans to have sexual intercourse at the park.
Moats was working at the park around noon when she noticed strange activity.
“I was sitting on my bench over there, and I kept watching the woman go back and forth with a camera, a real small recording camera,” she said. “She kept walking back and forth, and we thought the guy was doing an interview talking about the park here.”
Moats estimated 13 police cars pulled up as Stabley was taken into custody.
Stabley admitted the intended nature of the meet-up to police after he was apprehended, the complaint said.
Inside Staley’s vehicle, officers found the backseat had been modified into a makeshift bed, court documents said. Moats recalled seeing teddy bears in the back of the car.
If the incident hadn’t been a setup, Moats said, park staff would’ve intervened and notified police.
Moats said at any given time, there are at least two staff members watching the park, and another monitoring a security camera.
“You can trust this park, because we’re always here,” she said. “We’re here seven days a week, we’re here from April till November. I’m here. My husband’s here. My grandson is here. There’s always someone watching outside.”
Police obtained a search warrant for Stabley’s home and cellphone, where they found numerous files of child pornography, as well as additional explicit exchanges with suspected minors, the complaint said.
In an interview with police Stabley admitted to purchasing the videos and images, the complaint said.
Kathleen Mingrino of Hopwood was at Areford Park having lunch with her children Thursday. She hadn’t heard about Tuesday’s arrest. After listening to Moats talk about watching the park, Mingrino said she would make a point of bringing her kids back to Areford.
“I love that,” she said. “As a parent, that makes me feel good.”
Mingrino said as a parent, she’s cautious with her children, not letting them have iPads or letting them go to the park alone.
She’s also been straightforward with her children about being firm on their boundaries, and respecting those of others.
Stabley is charged with attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault, possession of child sexual abuse material, disseminating photo/film of child sex acts, attempted unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a telecommunications facility and indecent assault.
Stabley was denied bail and placed in the Fayette County jail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 24.