LISBON — One of the men arrested last year after responding to an advertisement by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force learned his fate during a sentencing hearing in Common Pleas Court Friday.

Paul Joseph Schrag, 32, Monaca, Pa., had previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, and fifth-degree felony charges of importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. A criminal tools charge was dismissed.

On May 24, 2021, court documents state Schrag initiated a conversation with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, sent her an obscene photo of himself and requested she meet him for a sexual encounter on May 25 in East Palestine.

According to Assistant County Prosecutor Steven Yacovone, Schrag knew the person he planned to have sex with was only 15, with conversations between the officer and Schrag bringing that up more than once. Additionally, Schrag arrived with things the undercover agent had asked him to bring.

Yacovone asked for a nine-month prison sentence for Schrag, noting that the importuning charge comes with a presumption of prison time because it is meant to protect children in society.

Defense attorney Chris Amato pointed out Schrag has no criminal record and a job working at the cracker plant in Monaca, Pa. Although he had a difficult childhood without a lot of parental guidance, Amato said Schrag managed to get his GED.

“I’m just very sorry,” Schrag told Bickerton. “I regret everything I did. I don’t know what was going through my head.”

Bickerton asked Schrag if he has undergone any counseling since the arrest in order to figure that out, but he said he has just been working and waiting to see what would happen.

“You understand the reason these task forces are put together is because there is a huge problem with people trafficking minors for sex,” Bickerton said, adding at his age he knows better, but a 15-year-old does not often know enough to make that decision. “But for this being the task force, you would have committed the offense.

Not only was Schrag sentenced to nine months in prison, but he will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender, registering his address every 180 days for 25 years.

djohnson@mojonews.com