‘I was stupid’: Lubbock man caught in child predator sting admits his guilt

Note: The video above reflects top headlines from morning of June 25, 2024.

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Lubbock man who was caught in a state-wide operation that targets predators, Charlie Ivins, 28, has agreed to plead guilty to Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, according to federal court documents.

EverythingLubbock.com previously reported Ivins was arrested in the 3100 block of 34th Street as part of the second annual Operation Janus.

Court documents obtained on Tuesday stated an undercover officer was posing online as a 14-year-old Lubbock girl. Court records said Ivins started messaging the undercover officer on social media and became “sexually aggressive towards [the undercover persona] almost immediately.”

Ivins was messaging who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, and still tried to make arrangements to meet for sexual activity, court documents stated. Ivins admitted to sending several other obscene messages.

Ivins drove to a location to meet with an underage girl, and was met with law enforcement. Court documents revealed Ivins even brought a condom to meet with the teen. Court records stated Ivins admitted he knew the girl was only 14 years old. Court records stated Ivins was interviewed and told authorities, “I was stupid, and I was horny, but that is not an excuse.”

Court records also said Ivins told authorities that “when he is drinking and horny, he is not concerned about the age of the females he messages for photographs or sexual activity.”

If his plea is accepted, Ivins will be sentenced at a later date to no more than 10 years in prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender.

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