Defiance man nabbed in Internet sex sting

9/4/2003

LIMA, Ohio — A Defiance man is the latest to be arrested by Lima police after he drove to Lima for what he believed was to be a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old child.

Matthew Haviland, 20, was arraigned yesterday on a charge of importuning. He was arrested Tuesday after driving here for the meeting.

Mr. Haviland allegedly initiated contact with a Lima police officer posing as a young girl in a chat room and asked the “girl” to meet with him for sex.

He is the 16th person arrested in Lima in the last year as a result of similar sexual solicitations over the Internet.