COLONIE – Police arrested a 62-year-old man for trying to meet two 13 year old girls for sex.
According to Colonie police Lt. Robert Winn, Joseph Watkins texted one of the girls, a resident of Watervliet, in what appears to have been a wrong number.
He was told the phone belonged to an underage girl but he offered to meet her anyway. The girl’s parents went to Watervliet police with the information, and they in turn asked Colonie Police Department’s Computer Crimes Unit for help.
An undercover investigator was assigned and assumed the victim’s identity.
Watkins continued his efforts to meet the “girl” and asked if “she” had any friends who might also want to have sex. A second undercover investigator assumed the role of a second 13-year-old girl and Watkins began chatting with “her” via text too.
A meeting was scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18 in a Loudon Road parking lot and Watkins showed up. He attempted to get the “girls” into his vehicle via text messages.
Instead, he was arrested and charged with two felonies of attempted dissemination of indecent materials to a minor and two felonies of attempted rape. He was arraigned and remanded to Albany County jail without bail.
A search warrant was executed, his digital media devises were seized and are currently undergoing a forensic analysis. He was driving a 2004 silver Ford Taurus with Virginia plates and was living locally out of hotels.
While there are no known real victims at this time, but police are asking anyone with any information about Watkins to call detectives at 518-783-2744.