A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to luring and endangering a then-14-year-old Somers Point girl he traded sexually explicit photos and videos with in 2017.Dean Leon, now 51, faces 10 years in prison under the plea deal, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said. He would have to serve at least 85 percent under the No Early Release Act.Beginning Oct. 16, 2016, he and the then-13-year-old girl shared hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos, according to the affidavit.But when Leon planned to travel to meet the girl March 31, 2017, she got scared and told her father, according to information previously released in court.Somers Point police were, and detectives then learned Leon was communicating with the girl via cell phone and arranged to meet her at the Somers Point Library.He was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and possession of child pornography.“I want to thank the Somers Point Police Department for their efforts to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” Tyner said. “As a community, we do not always fully appreciate the number of predators that are seeking to harm them. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is committed to ensuring their safety.”Leon remains in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending his sentencing.
Leon 'needs to be institutionalized and treated,' attorney says
A 48-year-old man and a 13-year-old Somers Point girl exchanged hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos online before the man was arrested when he tried to meet the girl, according to the affidavit read in court Thursday. “The facts and circumstances of this case are simply disturbing and chilling,” Chief Assistant Prosecutor John Flammer said. Dean Leon suffers from severe mental issues and there are competency issues, defense attorney John Bjorklund told the judge during a detention hearing.
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