Moment pedophile leaves the hospital where his baby had just been born to walk SEVEN MILES to meet ‘an underage girl’ for sex – as mother of his child sticks by him and even raises money for his bond
- Steven Prest, 36, was arrested along with more than two dozen suspects in a sting operation in Ohio in early July
- Prest, a registered sex offender, had just welcomed a baby daughter, then set out on a 7-mile trek to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex
- Bogus teen who had been texting with Prest was an undercover officer
- In one text that Prest sent to the cop, he wrote: ‘I definitely like you. Or I wouldn’t take the risks I’m already taking’
- Prest in September pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
- On Monday, a judge sentenced him to two years in prison and required him to register as a sex offender for 25 years
An Ohio sex offender and new dad has been sentenced to two years in prison, after he was caught on video walking seven miles to meet and have sex with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl, who turned out to be an undercover police officer.
Steven Prest, 36, pleaded guilty last month to counts of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
As part of the plea deal, a judge on Monday sentenced Prest to two years in prison and required him to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
Steven Prest, a registered sex offender from Ohio, has been sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly trying to meet a teen girl for sex after welcoming his baby daughter (right)
After walking out of the hospital, Prest set out on a seven-mile trek to meet the bogus 15-year-old girl, who was actually an undercover cop, with the intent to have sex with her
During his two-hour walk, Prest was sending the cop updates on his progress
Officers with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were keeping tabs on Prest
In exchange, the prosecution agreed to drop another count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, and charges of possessing criminal tools and importuning.
Prest was among more than two dozen people who were caught in a massive sting operation that was carried out by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on July 9, reported Fox 8.
Prest had just welcomed a baby daughter with his girlfriend of four years, then walked out of the hospital sporting a crop-top and set off on a 6.8-mile trek to meet a 15-year-old girl with whom he had been texting.
According to prosecutors, unbeknownst to Prest, he actually had been communicating with an undercover officer.
When Prest reached a convenience store near the place when he was supposed to meet the girl, he was surrounded by police and put in handcuffs
Under questioning, Prest admitted that he ‘played along’ with the fake teenager and talked about sex
During his two-hour walk, Prest was sending the cop updates on his progress,
In one text that Prest sent to the bogus teen, he wrote: ‘I definitely like you. Or I wouldn’t take the risks I’m already taking.’
Social media posts from Prest and his girlfriend suggest that the couple have stayed together despite his arrest
When he reached a convenience store near the place when he was supposed to meet the girl, he was surrounded by police and put in handcuffs.
Under questioning, Prest admitted that he ‘played along’ with the fake teenager.
‘There was some sex talk back and forth,’ he said of his exchanges. ‘We’ll do this. We’ll do that… I played along.’
Social media posts from Prest and his girlfriend suggest that the couple have stayed together despite his arrest.
The woman even started a fundraiser on Facebook to collect donations for Prest’s bond during his time in jail, writing in the description: ‘Steven got caught up in some dumb s*** (yet again)… he needs to be able to be here for our daughter.’
Three weeks after his arrest, Prest changed his status update on Facebook to ‘got married.’
Prest’s criminal record includes a 2013 conviction on a charge of solicitation of a minor in Tennessee, which resulted in a two-year sentence and landed him on the sex offender registry in the first place.