Convicted Sex Offender Charged

August 27, 2022 2:12 am

CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Investigators describe the images found on a convicted sex offender’s phone as graphic and horrific. Jason Meals was charged by Connellsville police Thursday with 1,000 counts of child pornography after he was arrested in December. Meals came into contact with police when he drove three hours from Erie and showed up at Connellsville Middle School in December and tried to pick up a 13-year-old girl. “He pretended that he was a family member of the victim and attempted to gain custody of her through the school,” police Cpl. Bryan Kendi said. School officials foiled his plan. Meals has since pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, but when police searched his phone, they made a disturbing discovery. “Upon that analysis, we learned there was — give or take — 1,000 images of child pornography on the phone,” Kendi said. That led to Meals facing 1,000 counts of child pornography charges. In just under a year, Connellsville police have arrested two alleged predators trying to meet up with underage girls. Police are telling parents to monitor your kids on social media, limit their exposure by tracking the use of their apps, or get rid of it all together. Meals has been in jail since that December incident, and that is where he will remain indefinitely.