RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- A man caught up in an online sex sting involving a former Miss America pleaded guilty two weeks into his trial, giving up on a defense that claimed he was exploited for the sake of a true-crime television show.
Lawrence Carulli faces a 5-year prison term after admitting in Suffolk County Court Thursday to attempted dissemination of indecent material to a minor. His sentencing was set for May 13.
``My best defense was going in front of a judge and hoping she would see my side,'' Carulli, 49, said outside the courtroom.
Carulli had acknowledged he solicited sex online and drove to Long Island for a liaison from his home in Brown Mills, N.J. He insisted he believed his correspondent was 24, but prosecutors maintained he knew she was 14.
Unbeknownst to Carulli, his electronic enticement was part of a police operation in which Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson pretended to be a lonely 14-year-old girl. She chatted with men online and on the phone, drawing them to a Bay Shore home where a camera crew from television's ``America's Most Wanted'' was waiting. An episode involving the sting aired April 28, 2007.
Carulli sensed something wrong when he got to the Bay Shore house and left; he was arrested at a highway exit three miles away. His lawyer, Robert Macedonio, had called the arrest a stunt for the media, suggesting his client was coerced into making an incriminating statement and ``paraded'' before the ``America's Most Wanted'' cameras.
Carulli's guilty plea came after parts of a graphic chat-room transcript was read in court, and several police officials testified that Carulli confessed that he thought he was arranging for sex with a minor.
``He finally accepted responsibility and admitted to what he did,'' Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney John Cortes said Thursday.
Macedonio said he faced a ``lack of options and evidence'' for proving his case because he was not allowed to examine police computers used in the operation.
Seven other men also have pleaded guilty in the sting.
1010 WINS Boroughs & 'Burbs: Long Island
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