Michigan village council member arrested for trying to meet teen for sex

SPARTA, Mich. -- (WXMI) -- A village council member in Sparta is facing charges after investigators say he tried to meet up with who he believed was a teenage girl.

Investigators say Ryan James Hayes started a texting conversation in September with whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl named “Liv”. Hayes was actually talking to an employee of the Kent County Sheriff's Office posing as a child online. Investigators say Hayes steered their conversation to sexual topics during the first day of communicating. They say he also discussed meeting the girl for a date that would include having sex.

Police say Hayes continued to communicate with the person he believed to be a 14-year-old for two weeks, allegedly planning to have sex once they eventually met up in person. Investigators say it was communicated the two would meet at Huff Park. Hayes apparently drove to the agreed upon “meet location,” where he was then arrested.

In court documents, investigators claim that Hayes has admitted to chatting with who he thought was a 14-year-old about “sexual topics” and that he was planning to meet up with the girl at the park.

According to court documents, Hayes is being charged with one felony count of "accosting children for immoral purposes" and one misdemeanor count of violating the children's protection registry act with a computer. He is facing up to five years in prison if convicted.