By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

LEBANON - A local man on Thursday pleaded guilty to charges of importuning and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, both felonies.

Police say he solicited sex with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl over the Internet.

Carl Johnson, 49, could receive up to 30 months in prison and a $7,500 fine when sentenced in about 30 days.

An investigator posed as the girl in an Internet chat room in June, and Johnson solicited the "girl" to spend the night at his apartment to have sex, Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said.

An arrangement was made for Johnson to pick up the girl in a parking lot in Lebanon, where he was arrested, authorities said.

The case underscores the need for parents to monitor their children's Internet use, Hutzel said.

"I do not want to sound alarmist, but parents need to understand that sexual predators lurk in even the most innocent corners on the Internet," she said,

E-mail daveck@fuse.net