Washington man pleads guilty to child enticement

COEUR d’ALENE — A Washington man faces up to 15 years in prison after authorities said he sent explicit messages and made plans to meet someone he believed to be a teen girl but who was really an undercover police officer.

Andrew P. Hanson, 60, of Deer Meadows, Wash., pleaded guilty last week to enticing children through the use of the internet or other communication devices, a felony. 

The charge stems from September, when a Coeur d’Alene woman reported to police her concerns about a man who had contacted her via Facebook Marketplace. 

The woman told police she had posted about an item she wanted to sell and included a photo of her 14-year-old daughter holding the item.

Hanson messaged the woman, who posed as a 15-year-old girl in the ensuing conversation. He told her he was “looking for a girlfriend,” requested photos of her and provided his cellphone number so they could text, according to court records. 

After the woman contacted law enforcement, a police officer took over messaging Hanson, using a different device. 

Court records indicate Hanson sent explicit photos and videos of himself to the undercover officer and had sexually explicit conversations with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. 

In October, Hanson suggested the two meet in person for sex, court records say. Police arrested him in Coeur d’Alene, near Lake City High School, while he was on the way to the meetup location. 

In exchange for Hanson’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a charge of attempted sexual abuse of a minor, a felony, and recommend that he be sentenced to no more than 10 years in prison for the enticement charge. The judge in Hanson’s case will ultimately have discretion over the sentence. 

Hanson is scheduled to be sentenced in late February. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, reach Safe Passage 24/7 by calling 208-664-9303 or texting 208-449-7228.