EPHRATA, Pa. — A Lancaster County man will serve up to 23 months in prison for attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, prosecutors said Friday.
Grzegorz Marzec, 45, of Ephrata, was actually communicating with an undercover officer working with the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force when he agreed to pay $100 to have sex with what he thought was a minor in June 2022, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
Marzec asked the officer, who was posing as a relative of the 13-year-old girl, for nude photos and videos, authorities said.
He pleaded guilty to attempted statutory sexual assault (11 years older), soliciting photographs/film depicting sex acts from a child, attempt to patronize a victim of sexual servitude, and criminal use of a communication facility.
“This was not a spur-of-the-moment event for the defendant,” said Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick, who prosecuted the case. “It was measured. He was fully aware of what he was doing.”
Haverstick mentioned the defendant’s confirming the age with the undercover and asking if the 13-year-old was still available multiple times.
“There is an element to this back and forth that is very concerning,” Lancaster County President Judge Dennis Reinaker said at Marzec's sentencing hearing.
Reinaker sentenced Marzec to a prison term of 11 to 23 months, followed by six years of probation. He must also register as a sex offender with Pennsylvania State Police for the rest of his life.
East Hempfield Township Police Detective Ryan Kelly filed charges.
