In February 2016, a Virginia man arrived at a motel in Henrico, Virginia. He had a teddy bear in his arms to present to a 5-year-old girl.
Louis Ponterio, 54, had made arrangments with who he thought was the girl’s mother to set up the meeting.
When Ponterio opened the door, though, he was greeted by a team of local police, state police, and federal agents. Needless to say, this was a pretty unwelcome surprise for the sexual predator and pedophile.
Police had been alerted that Ponterio was seeking out minors for sexual relationships, so they set a trap. A local prostitute worked with law enforcement on the sting.
When Ponterio asked her if she had children, she told him she had a 5-year-old daughter.
They then made arrangements to meet up at the motel so Ponterio could have sex with the child.
In addition to the teddy bear, Ponterio had brought candy and stickers as well as a gun, marijuana, a sex toy, and lubricant. In court, Ponterio claimed that he had only been acting out a fantasy.
The sex offender accepted a plea deal in May 2016 and faces a long time in prison. Virginia residents are certainly resting a little bit easier knowing that a predator like this is behind bars.
