A New York man has pleaded guilty to one of the four felony charges against him in the Court of Common Pleas.

Joshua A. Nowalk, 31, of Otego, N.Y., pleaded guilty in front of Judge Maureen Skerda to a charge of criminal attempt unlawful contact with a minor, a class 2 felony. Charges of unlawful contact or communication with a minor and obscene and other sexual materials, both class 2 felonies, and criminal use of a communication facility, a class 3 felony, and possession of a controlled substance were not prosecuted.

Nowalk was charged after attempting to contact a person purported to be a 14-year-old girl from Corry, Pa., through a decoy account created by Erie Predator Catchers. Efrain Perez, founder of the Erie Predator Catchers, testified earlier in court that a “decoy account” on Facebook was created and that Nowalk messaged the account first to initiate contact. .

He testified that the Nowalk’s discussion evolved to making plans to meet and talking about his feelings and included Nowalk sending photos of his penis and acknowledging the alleged girl’s age, emphasizing the need to keep that, per Perez, a “big secret.”

On cross examination, Perez said this is the EPC’s first foray into Warren County and that he had not testified in a similar criminal case before.

“At no time was there a minor on the other end of the exchanges?” Nowalk’s attorney, Elizabeth Feroniti, asked.

“Correct,” Perez said.

Warren Police Det. Tiffany Post testified that the department was contacted by EPC one to two hours before Nowalk was allegedly set to arrive in Warren.

She said that law enforcement sent two additional messages to Nowalk confirming that he was still coming and then set up surveillance by the Quality Inn on the west end.

She testified law enforcement watched Nowalk go into the hotel and hotel room keys were subsequently seized.

Post detailed what was seized via search warrant – room keys, a bodysuit, a THC vape pen, a cell phone and a male enhancement pill.

Nowalk will have a 25-year sex offender registration and undergo a sexual violent predator evaluation.