A decorated Navy veteran will spend five months in jail after copping a plea yesterday to settle charges he sent filthy e-mails and pictures to a detective posing as a 14-year-old girl – and then tried to set up an illicit rendezvous.
Stephen Diles, 39, an engineman first class posted to Naval Station Annapolis, was busted in October at his Maryland home by an NYPD online sting operation.
He pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Court last month to one count of attempting to disseminate indecent material to a minor. In addition to the jail time, he’ll also serve five years’ probation and have to register as a Level One sex offender.
Diles was initially hit with charges including second-degree attempted rape, for which he could have gone to prison for up to seven years. The disgraced sailor admitted to detectives that, in addition to the e-mails, he sent four graphic images to the imaginary teen, whom he planned to bed at a Queens motel, according to the court papers.