Undercover sting nabs Mass. man looking for sex with underage girl

CONCORD - A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty on Monday to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with an underage New Hampshire resident.

In a proactive law enforcement operation, agents on Nov. 14, 2024, posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored the phone line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Arthur Picanco, 43, of Bradford, Mass, who arranged to pay $100 to have sex with who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The undercover agent then provided Picanco with the address of a hotel in Manchester and Picanco traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to the hotel. Once at the hotel, Picanco confirmed he had the cash and wanted to go up to the hotel room to meet the 14-year-old girl. When police arrested Picanco, they found that he had a condom and over $100 in cash in his pocket.

Picanco is scheduled to be sentenced in March.