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Two Michigan men arrested trying to reach teen girls for sex

Posted at 3:14 PM, Dec 11, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-11 15:14:50-05

MACOMB CO., Mich. – Two men have been arrested in different operations while trying to meet up with who they thought were 14-year-old girls online.

Mark Steven Astalos was arrested on December 9th at about 9:00pm when he arrived at a Harrison Township location to meet up with the girl, who was actually a Macomb County Sheriff’s Detective who had posed online as the single mom of a 14-year-old girl.  The detective was monitoring what is described as a popular advertising site and had come across the suspect who was indicating a desire to have sex with an underage girl.

After chatting with the suspect who described himself as a single dad, the suspect sent graphic photos and messages to the detective including a photo of himself in a paramedic’s uniform.  The detective arranged a meeting  with Astalos and he was arrested.

Astalos is charged with four counts of Child Sexually Abusive Activity, Possessing Child Sexually Abusive Material and Using Computers to Commit a Crime.

On December 8th, another man expressed willingness to have sex with a child online, according to police.  A Computer Crimes detective posed again as the mom of a 14-year-old girl, and the suspect, a resident of Arkansas who was staying and working in the Taylor/Southgate area of metro Detroit arranged to meet  in Harrison Township.  The suspect, Larry Dean Privetts, was arrested and is charged with one count of Child Sexually Abusive Activity and one count of Using Computers to Commit a Crime.

Both men are currently in the Macomb County Jail.

Larry Privetts

Larry Privetts