Las Vegas man guilty in Arizona of trying to lure minor for sex

A Las Vegas man who drove to Kingman, Arizona, last fall to have sex with someone he thought was a teenage girl, who turned out to be a detective, will end up in prison, possibly for decades.

A Mohave County Superior Court jury on Thursday found Kevin Moninger, 63, guilty of attempted sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

Moninger is one of nine men snared in an undercover sting operation in which a Mohave County Sheriff’s Office detective, Brennan Cassidy, posed as a 13-year-old girl named Sabrina. Prosecutor Greg McPhillips said the defendants responded to a post on internet match site Doublelist before the detective diverted the communication to text messages.

McPhillips told the jury that an exchange of more than 1,200 text messages preceded Moninger’s Oct. 5 trip to Kingman, where he thought he would meet the girl at a motel while her mother was at work. Moninger had a Viagra pill in his pocket, along with a fur coat and other gifts, when he was intercepted by officers.

Moninger’s attorney, Robin Puchek, asserted an entrapment defense and encouraged the jury to acquit his client. He said the idea for the crime originated with law enforcement and that Moninger was “urged and induced” to engage in illegal conduct.

The jury deliberated for about three hours Wednesday and Thursday before finding Moninger guilty of all counts. McPhillips said prison is mandatory, and Moninger could get up to 40 years when sentenced June 7.

Another Las Vegas man snared in the undercover operation, 33-year-old Durrel Shaw, and 72-year-old George Lizotte of Bullhead City have reached identical plea agreements resolving their cases. They face prison terms of five to 10 years in upcoming sentencing hearings.

Six other Arizona men await trial in their cases.