State Police have charged a North Haven man with attempting to entice a person he thought was a teen boy into a sexual relationship. The "boy" turned out to be an undercover officer.
Authorities arrested Mark Smith, 44, at his home this week.
"I'm completely shocked, completely shocked. I've grown up here and I've never noticed anything," said a neighbor who did not want to be identified. "This whole neighborhood is full of kids," she said.
According to State Police, Smith responded to an ad on Craigslist for a 14-year-old boy looking to meet someone. Smith and the "teen" exchanged emails for months, police said.
"It was intermittent, then it became more frequent until the content became totally inappropriate," Lt. Paul Vance said.
Smith allegedly sent naked pictures of himself and said he wanted to meet up, but admitted he could go to jail because the boy was under 18, according to court documents.
Investigators said it is possible Smith had communication with other minors online.
Local
"We will continue to look at evidence that was seized as a result of this arrest," Vance said.
