FORT SMITH -- An Ohio man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to knowingly crossing the state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a person younger than 12.
Antoine Lebeux Michael, 42, of New Boston, Ohio, was scheduled to go to trial Monday on a two-count criminal indictment.
He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III on Thursday to one count charging him with traveling interstate with the intent to engage in sex acts with a person he believed to be a 9-year-old girl named "McKenna."
According to a plea agreement with Michael, the government agreed to dismiss after sentencing the second count of the indictment -- crossing state lines with the intent to have sex with a fictitious 8-year-old boy named "Billy."
No sentencing date was set Thursday.
According to a description of events included in the plea agreement, Michael admitted after his arrest that he traveled from Ohio to Arkansas to have sex with the fictitious mother and her two children.
Fort Smith police detective Kathy Wall, posing as the mother, met Michael in a chat room called OlderForYounger on July 30, according to the plea agreement.
Moving to the Internet instant messaging service Yahoo Messenger, Michael expressed interest in having sex with the children, according to the plea agreement, saying he had had sexual contact with a friend of his 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old boy.
"'Andy' [Michael's Internet identity] discussed that living with Det. Wall and her two children was the type of 'family' he had always dreamed of having," the plea agreement said.
As part of his perfect family, the agreement said, Michael talked about impregnating "McKenna" when she was older so there would always be children around and that he would not have to hide his collection of pornographic pictures.
Wall and Michael arranged to meet at a Fort Smith coffee shop, where police set up surveillance.
When Michael arrived on the morning of Aug. 10, Wall confirmed Michael's identity and they talked until Michael asked to meet the children.
At that point, Wall and other officers arrested Michael, the plea agreement said.
State Desk on 01/22/2016