CURWENSVILLE, PA — A West Virginia man was arrested Friday after allegedly attempting to meet who he believed was a 15-year-old girl for a sexual encounter.
Benjamin Carlton Engle, 31, of Springfield, West Virginia, was taken into custody by Curwensville Police on Feb. 21, 2026.
Police said Engle communicated with an undercover decoy posing as a minor for several weeks on social media.
According to authorities, Engle sent nude photographs of himself and explicit messages describing how he would sexually assault the decoy.
The arranged meeting was to take place in Curwensville Borough.
When officers arrested Engle at the scene, a 5-year-old child was found in the backseat of his vehicle.
Clearfield County Children and Youth Services took custody of the child at the arrest scene.
The investigation involved assistance from 814 Pred Hunters and the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office.
The case has been forwarded to the FBI for further investigation.
Engle faces charges including attempted unlawful contact with a minor, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, attempted aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old, two counts of corruption of minors and criminal use of a communications facility.
