Man faces charges of soliciting child sex

Pope also was charged with one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Pope allegedly responded by e-mail to an advertisement placed on an Internet group by a state Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent posing as the father of three young children, a boy, age 7, and two girls, ages 9 and 12, according to charging documents.

Pope allegedly indicated his desire to have sexual relations with the children and the agent's wife, according to charging documents.

Pope allegedly believed the children and wife were real people, but they were fictitious, Fisher said.

Pope allegedly sent a lewd photograph of himself to the agent over the Internet before arranging with the agent to meet at a hotel in Susquehanna Township, Pa., for the specific purpose of engaging in illegal deviant sexual acts with the female children, according to charging documents.

Pope allegedly identified himself as the author of the e-mails and described in detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform with the children when he arrived at the hotel to meet the agent and another agent posing as his wife on Jan. 18, according to charging documents.

Pope was being held on $25,000 bail - which is equivalent to $250,000 bond - Friday at the Dauphin County Prison in Harrisburg, Pa., said Kevin Harley, deputy press secretary for the Office of the Attorney General.

Pope's preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 10, Harley said.