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June 30, 2008

Accused child predator faces more charges

By Nancy Lowry

Additional criminal charges have been filed on a New Wilmington man arrested earlier this month as an accused child predator.

New York state authorities said Leroy Maloni, 69, of 3511 Route 208 used Internet chat rooms to contact and sexually proposition someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The true recipient of Maloni�s attention, however, was an undercover agent of the New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

In contact with the presumed �13-year-old New York girl,� Maloni expressed a desire to travel to Albany, N.Y., to engage in sexual activity with �her,� according to Attorney General Tom Corbett.

Authorities in New York said the meeting was planned for June 23, but Maloni was unable to travel to Albany since he had been arrested six days earlier.

Corbett said Maloni was arrested June 17 in Canonsburg, by the Pennsylvania Attorney General�s Child Predator Unit after allegedly arranging to meet there with someone else he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

At that time, he was arraigned before District Judge David Mark in Washington County, where he was jailed in on $50,000 bond. He was freed on bail June 18.

Corbett said charges of both cases have been consolidated in Lawrence County, and that the Pennsylvania and New York cases are similar.

In both instances, Maloni is accused of using the Internet to contact and sexually proposition what he believed were 13-year-old girls. He is also described in graphic detail the sex acts he wished to engage in, authorities said.

Maloni was arrested again yesterday and arraigned in Lawrence County before District Judge Scott McGrath, who set his bond at $10,000. He is free on bail again.

In connection with both offenses, Maloni is charged two counts of attempted unlawful contact with a minor and two counts of solicitation to commit unlawful contact with a minor, all felonies. Each charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 in fines upon conviction.

Maloni also is charged with two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, related to sexual offenses, which, if convicted, could be punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. He also faces four other counts of unlawful contact with a minor and three counts of criminal use of a computer.

If convicted he could face up to seven years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

Maloni also is prohibited from using the Internet or from leaving Pennsylvania without prior court approval.

He was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Central Court.

Corbett said Maloni is the 147th alleged Internet predator to be arrested in Pennsylvania by the child predator unit.

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