Prosecutor: Bristol man caught in police sting offered $200 for sex with child

A Bristol man was arrested this week after he tried to pay $200 to have sex with a child but instead found himself caught in a sting operation when he arrived an area motel.

Robert M. Sellers, 60, was arrested Thursday by the Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and charged with three felony offenses, including criminal attempt to commit commercial sex abuse of a minor, the state Division of Criminal Justice announced Friday afternoon.

Sellers is accused of arranging online to pay for sex with a child via a contact that was actually an undercover FBI agent working with regional task force that includes members of municipal, state and federal law enforcements agencies focused on human trafficking and child exploitation, New Britain State’s Attorney Brian Preleski said.

Sellers arrived at a predetermined motel in Southington and gave the undercover FBI employee $200 ahead of the anticipated sexual encounter, Preleski said. Instead, he was apprehended by agents on the way to the motel room.

Preleski has charged Sellers with criminal attempt to commit commercial sexual abuse of a minor, criminal attempt to commit second-degree sexual assault and criminal attempt to commit risk of injury to a minor.

Sellers was arraigned Friday and ordered held on $150,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear Feb. 19 in New Britain Superior Court.

Zach Murdock can be reached at zmurdock@courant.com.

___

(c)2021 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)

Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.