High court denies man’s appeal of sex conviction Sting operation revealed attempt to meet with teen

PORTLAND – Maine’s highest court has upheld a Lewiston man’s convictions for arranging to meet a 13-year-old for sex in a police sting operation set up by a civilian watchdog group.

Nicholas Webster, 27, was convicted last July of attempted gross sexual assault and solicitation of a child by computer.

Webster had struck up a conversation on the Internet with a girl who said she was 13. But the girl was actually a volunteer for the national watchdog group Perverted Justice, which works to catch “predators” on the Internet.

According to the Maine supreme court’s decision Thursday, Webster and the girl agreed to meet to have sex – with Webster going so far as to say he hoped he wouldn’t go to jail as a result.

When Webster showed up at a South Portland residence, he was arrested by South Portland police, who were working with Perverted Justice.

In his appeal, Webster said he was a victim of police entrapment and that he did not attempt a sexual assault.

In a 6-0 decision written by Justice Warren Silver, the court said Webster – by agreeing to a meeting time and place and obtaining condoms – had taken “a substantial step” toward engaging in sex with someone he thought was under 14, which is a criminal offense.

The decision further said that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to conclude that police did not induce Webster into committing a crime.

Webster was sentenced to 14 months in prison. He must register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life.