MORGANTOWN — A Kingwood man pleaded guilty to first degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors in Oneida County (N.Y.) Court on Monday.
David Casteel, 48, pleaded guilty before Judge Robert Bauer, Oneida County (N.Y.) Prosecuting Attorney Scott McNamara said.
His plea is a “max split” agreement and Casteel likely faces six months incarceration and five years of probation, McNamara said. He said Casteel will be required to serve his prison sentence in New York, but the court is working with Preston County to allow Casteel to serve his probation there.
Typically, people convicted of online-related sexual crimes are not allowed to have any kind of social media during their probation, McNamara said.
He said the investigation started after a mother told the child advocacy center she caught her 16-year-old daughter talking to an adult on the internet.
The mother said she caught her daughter talking to a man online, later determined to be Casteel, and took over her daughter’s Snapchat, pretending to be the teen. Casteel eventually sent explicit photos or images, believing the daughter to be the recipient. The mother, still posing as her daughter, saw them instead. She then contacted police, McNamara said.
An undercover officer continued to engage in conversation with Casteel, who sent “indecent material” to the officer, McNamara said.
The incidents occurred between July 3-11.
Casteel will be sentenced Feb. 8, 2019, he said.
