A 27-year-old Colonie man was arrested on Saturday, March 16, for trying to meet who he thought was a 12-year-old girl for sex.
Instead of meeting the girl, though, when John Fleshman showed up at the Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park at around 8:34 a.m., he was met by the Colonie Police Department Computer Crimes Unit and put in handcuffs.
According to Sgt. George Thomaides, Colonie police got a tip from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Washington State about Fleshman’s suspicious online activities.
Digital media devices were seized from his vehicle and residence and have been turned over to the State Police for forensic examination.
Thomaides said as a result of the week-long investigation police believe there are live victims of Fleshman and the investigation is continuing.
Anyone who has any information is asked to call Colonie police at 518-783-2754.
Colonie was assisted by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
Fleshman, of Morris Road, is charged with the felonies of promoting a sexual performance by a child, possession of a sexual performance by a child, attempted rape, attempted criminal sex act when the perpetrator is over 17 and the victim under 15 and disseminating indecent material to a minor.
He was arraigned and remanded to the Albany County jail without bail.
