A Lititz man arrested by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force (HTTF) pleaded guilty and was sentenced Friday to 1 ½ to 5 years in prison plus five years of probation regarding attempted solicitation of sex from a minor following a sting conducted in 2022.

Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker ordered sentence.

Jeffrey Fralich, 69 of the 100 block of South Walnut St., pleaded guilty to five third-degree felonies and one second-degree felony for agreeing to pay for sex with a minor. The charges include attempted corruption of minors, solicitation to commit corruption of minors, attempted patronization of a victim of sexual servitude, solicitation to commit patronizing a victim of sexual servitude, criminal use of a communication facility, and criminal solicitation to commit sexual abuse of children.

The HTTF, with the assistance of the FBI, began a detail focused on solicitation of sex from minors online in 2022. Online prostitution advertisements were created.

Investigators began communicating with Fralich and posed as a family member of a 12-year-old to facilitate sex acts. Fralich agreed to pay $400 to have sex with the minor for an hour and agreed to pay an additional $50 for unprotected sex; the defendant also requested oral sex, a lewd photograph, and for the 12-year-old to be brought to him.

Investigators determined the phone number used in the communications belonged to Fralich and confirmed his residence as the home he asked the 12-year-old to be brought to.

Fralich is one of nine defendants arrested in similar HTTF stings in 2022 and one of three defendants (Joseph Giannini, Jose Villa Corta) who have been convicted and sentenced. All other defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Assistant District Attorney Amy Muller prosecuted the case and Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Jessica Higgins filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.