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Former House Employee Convicted of Soliciting Sex

Florida State Capitol
Posted at 2:44 PM, Sep 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-01 13:46:02-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The former coordinator of a Florida Legislature Teenage Page Program has been convicted of soliciting sex from an undercover investigator he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Michael Chmielewski, was convicted Friday in federal court in Tallahassee, faces between 10 years and life in prison at sentencing scheduled Jan. 5.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Chmielewski was convicted of attempted enticement of a minor after a three-day trial. He was arrested in February after authorities say he responded to a Craigslist ad from an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. They discussed sexual activity and he was arrested when he traveled to meet her, according to authorities.

Chmielewski was fired after his arrest. He oversaw a program that recruits 300 teenagers a year as aides and messengers for the state House.

Chmielewsk was arrested in February due to sex sting operations in North Florida, which netted a dozen men, eight in the Tallahassee area. Investigators say, the men were seeking to engage in sexual acts with who they thought were teens.