A 33-year-old resident of Valhalla has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to entice a minor.

Officials reported Dean Picariello admitted to engaging in a conversation with an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. The incident happened in November 2020.

Subsequently, he initiated explicit text messages with another person posing as the 12-year-old girl's 11-year-old cousin.

Picariello then planned to travel to an Albany suburb with the intent of engaging in illicit activities with the two girls. Law enforcement officers apprehended him upon his arrival at the designated meeting location.

Picariello has two prior state convictions for rape of a minor. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will remain on probation for the duration of his life.