Alleged sexual predator from Windber arrested

A 58-year-old Somerset County man has been accused of using theInternet to proposition what he apparently believed were two 13-year-old girls. The "girls" were agents of the state AttorneyGeneral's Child Predator Unit.

James A. Stigers Jr. of Windber allegedly sent nude photos ofhimself via webcam and repeatedly proposed face-to-face meetings forsexual purposes. Authorities said he told one of his "victims" thathe would be "a gentle teacher."

He promised to provide alcohol and proposed meeting one of the"girls" in a state park where "we would not be bothered if we find anice spot," the attorney general's office said in a preparedstatement.

Stigers was arraigned before District Judge Susan Mankamyer, whoset bail at $100,000. A preliminary hearing will be held May 11before District Judge Joseph A. Cannoni of Windber.

Mankamyer prohibited Stigers from using the Internet and havingany unsupervised contact with children younger than 18, authoritiessaid.

Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan said the state Child PredatorUnit has made 292 arrests since it was created in 2005. He notedundercover agents typically experience an increase in communicationwith predators during the spring and summer.

"Last year, more than 60 percent of the arrests by the ChildPredator Unit occurred between April and August," Ryan said.

Undercover agents posing as teens use credible online profileswith predators, Ryan said. He said "it was important for families tounderstand that predators will take advantage of any possibleopportunity to meet potential victims."

The case will be tried in Somerset County by Senior DeputyAttorney General William F. Caye II, the attorney general's officesaid.

Stigers was charged with three felony counts, including unlawfulcontact with a minor related to explicit sexual material andcriminal use of a computer. Each charge is punishable by up to sevenyears in prison and $15,000 in fines.