A Willow Street man arrested by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force (HTTF) was sentenced last Thursday to nine to 23 months in prison plus seven years of probation regarding attempted solicitation of sex from a minor following a sting conducted in 2022.

Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker ordered sentence.

Joseph Giannini, 41 of the first block of Nolt Ave., pleaded guilty on March 1, 2023, to attempted statutory sexual assault (defendant 11 years older than victim), attempted solicitation/patronization a victim of sexual servitude, and criminal use of a communication facility.

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 Giannini and posed as a family member of a 13-year-old to facilitate sex acts. Giannini agreed to pay $100 for oral sex and sexual intercourse with the 13-year-old for two hours.

Investigators instructed Giannini to travel to a nearby gas station, where he took a photo to show he arrived and made a purchase inside. Giannini then traveled to the area of the hotel where investigators arranged for the meeting with the minor to occur.

Giannini was identified through a combination of his vehicle’s license plate, surveillance video from the gas station, and his phone number used to communicate with investigators purporting as the minor’s family.

Giannini is one of nine defendants arrested in similar HTTF stings in 2022 and one of two defendants who have been convicted and sentenced. All other defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick prosecuted the case and Mount Joy Borough Detective Christine Keiffer filed charges.

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