LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Mount Joy man was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an undercover human trafficking operation, Lancaster County authorities announced.
Jeffrey McDonald, 39, of the 100 block of Farmington Way, admitted in court to attempting to pay for sex with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The girl, however, was an undercover officer with the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force. McDonald pleaded guilty last month to felony charges of criminal attempt of patronizing a victim of human trafficking, statutory sexual assault, and corruption of minors.
The investigation began in May when McDonald responded to an online advertisement and agreed to pay $200 for sexual services from the purported juvenile.
The ad, created by task force agents, claimed to represent the juvenile’s family member. When McDonald arrived at a hotel in West Hempfield Township and verbally confirmed the arrangement, he was taken into custody by law enforcement.
In addition to the prison sentence handed down by Judge Merrill Spah, McDonald was also ordered to serve five years of probation. Prior to sentencing, McDonald addressed the court, describing his actions as “a monumental mistake.”
Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick prosecuted the case, commending the efforts of the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force for their work targeting individuals seeking to exploit minors.