A Schuylkill County man is being held without bail after investigators say he planned to cross state lines to sexually assault what he believed was a 12-year-old girl.
Robert Kroh, 67, of Kelayres, was arrested Tuesday following a months-long undercover sting. In addition to planning the trip, investigators with the state Attorney General’s Office allege Kroh sent highly graphic sexual messages to the undercover agent and possessed child sexual abuse material on his phone.
Kroh faces three first-degree felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, eight second-degree felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material, one third-degree felony count of possessing child sexual abuse material, one count of corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
He was denied bail by Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and remanded to the Schuylkill County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 8.
Investigators allege the case began with a referral from federal authorities in Connecticut. Between late January and late May, an undercover task force member posing online as a 12-year-old girl named “Emma” communicated with Kroh via Snapchat and direct text messages.
Despite explicitly acknowledging that the persona was 12 years old, Kroh sent a continuous stream of severe, highly graphic sexual messages, investigators allege. The messages detailed specific sexual acts Kroh desired to perform with the child, discussions on surgical and medical ways to prevent pregnancy, and strategies for hiding their relationship from the child’s parents.
According to investigators, Kroh made specific plans to travel from Pennsylvania to Connecticut on April 12 to engage in sexual acts with the persona. The meeting ultimately did not happen. In the messages, Kroh allegedly noted that traveling was difficult because he is currently on state parole for a 2023 felony theft conviction and needed a supervisor’s permission to leave Pennsylvania.
On June 30, agents from the Attorney General’s Office and local authorities executed a search warrant at Kroh’s Center St. home. Investigators say Kroh waived his rights and admitted to the communications, telling authorities he knew it was wrong but did so because he was lonely. He also allegedly admitted to researching the legal consequences of driving to Connecticut to meet the minor.
During the interview, Kroh told investigators he used social media messaging applications to obtain child sexual abuse material, using specific online slang to locate the files. A preliminary forensic scan of Kroh’s mobile phone at the scene uncovered an image and eight videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts and poses, investigators allege.
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