Man guilty of online enticement

An Afton man has admitted sending sexually charged messages to a 14-year-old girl through Facebook while at work.

Daniel Wayne Widdowfield, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to use of a communications system to entice a juvenile as part of a plea agreement. Since he was more than seven years older than the girl, Widdowfield will face a sentence of between five and 30 years in prison when sentenced in Albemarle County Circuit Court.

Widdowfield was a facilities technician at the University of Virginia when he started talking to the teenager over the summer via a work computer. Jon R. Zug, assistant commonwealth’s attorney, said in court that the girl told Widdowfield that she was 14. When Widdowfield said that she shouldn’t tell her parents about their conversation, Zug said, the girl told him that she doesn’t keep anything from her family.

However, the chats between them didn’t end. After the girl told her family, her father went to UVa police to report what had happened. UVa police Detective Christopher Easton then took over the girl’s Facebook talks with Widdowfield, Zug said.

In court Tuesday, Zug read two excerpts of the conversations between Widdowfield and Easton posing as the teenager. Widdowfield’s messages included asking her to have sex with him and figuring out the logistics. Widdowfield also asked for naked pictures.

“‘I want to see what I’m gettin’” said Zug, reading Widdowfield’s words.

Widdowfield and the girl were supposed to meet up at the tennis courts at Emmet Street and University Avenue. Authorities said they saw him in his car in that area, but Widdowfield didn’t get out.

Zug said Widdowfield had no prior sex offenses, but his new conviction will require him to register as a sex offender.

Noting the possible length of his client’s sentence, defense attorney David Heilberg said the General Assembly hasn’t made a distinction between offenses in person and online.

Heilberg said his client’s case should serve as a warning to others looking for companionship online.

“Once the person’s age is disclosed, if it’s true or not, if you shut off the computer and stop having contact, this wouldn’t happen,” Heilberg said.

Widdowfield is scheduled to be sentenced May 6. He remains without bond at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.