Man guilty of traveling across state lines to engage in sex with a minor

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - A Pennsylvania man traveled to Bridgeport to engage in sexual activity with a minor, officials said.

Mark Sassak, Jr., 37, of Monessen, Pennsylvania, was found guilty Thursday of one count of “Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor” and one count of “Possession of Child Pornography” following a three-day trial, according to a release from United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.

Sassak allegedly began talking with who he believed to be a 15-year-old female through a social media app and text messages on his cell phone for several weeks.

Officials say Sassak asked for an in-person meeting to have sex with the 15-year-old.

Sassak then drove from his home in Pennsylvania to a location in Bridgeport, West Virginia in October 2020 for said meeting, where law enforcement arrested him, according to Ihlenfeld.

When a search of Sassak’s cell phone was done, officers found child pornographic video, according to the release.

Sassak faces up to 30 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the travel charge and faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the pornography charge, Ihlenfeld said.

The Bridgeport Police Department investigated the incident.

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