BUTLER TWP — A Lancaster County father of two young teenagers is accused of attempting to solicit sex via the Internet from a 13-year-old girl.

But when Patrick Gehris, 42, of Lancaster arrived Monday at a Butler Township motel for what he believed was to be a tryst with the girl, he was met by state police and arrested.

Gehris remains in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bond. He is charged with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of children and criminal solicitation to commit sexual abuse of children.

Additionally, he faces misdemeanor charges of attempted corruption of minors and criminal solicitation of minors.

Police said a trooper at the Butler barracks posing as a 19-year-old woman had been communicating online with Gehris since October.

The defendant during the investigation sent e-mails containing pornographic images and sexually explicit messages in a chat room to the undercover officer, according to court documents.

Some of the messages discussed the "topic of child pornography,"a police affidavit said. Gehris allegedly admitted fantasizing about having sex with young girls.

The defendant, during one online exchange, told the officer he was looking for a girl as young as 11 years old, documents said. Police said Gehris ultimately asked the officer to procure for him a 13-year-old child for sex.

Gehris later sent an online message saying he was sending by mail a camera for the officer to take photographs of the 13-year-old.

On Feb. 2, a package from the defendant containing a digital camera was delivered to a post office box owned by police, documents said.

He spoke on Feb. 12 with two female troopers who he believed were the 19- and 13-year-olds and "talked about traveling to Butler County on Feb. 19 for a sexual encounter with both of them," the affidavit said.

He arrived about 10:50 a.m. Monday at the motel and was arrested.

Gehris at his arraignment told District Judge Susan Haggerty he has two children, ages 13 and 15. He said he has worked since 2005 for an investment firm in York County.

Apreliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. March 1 before District Judge Kevin O'Donnell.