St. Marys man arrested on sex charges

VW independent/submitted information

A St. Marys man has been arrested on sex-related charges after he attempted to meet with a 13-year-old juvenile at a Van Wert park on Saturday.

Charles M. Purdy II, 27, was arrested by Van Wert police at Pak-A-Sak, 800 N. Washington St., after arranging to meet a city juvenile at Jubilee Park. He has been charged with criminal child enticement, a misdemeanor of the first degree, and importuning, a fifth-degree felony offense.

On September 14, the Van Wert Probation Department notified police that a 13-year-old juvenile was having conversations with a 27-year-old male from St. Marys via cell phone and social media.

The Van Wert Detective Bureau completed an investigation and identified Purdy as the suspect in the case.

The Van Wert Police Department is asking that anyone with information about this case, or similar incidents, call Crime Stoppers at 419.238.7867. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that helps law enforcement capture and/or convict predators of young children.