Federal agents say a 50-year-old registered sex offender was taken down in an undercover sting after he allegedly tried to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The arrest came late in the evening during a coordinated enticement operation in the Hudson Valley. According to prosecutors and court documents, investigators say the suspect used online messages to arrange the encounter and was arrested when he arrived at the agreed meeting spot.
Prosecutors in Manhattan have charged Louis K. West III with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and a separate felony tied to his status as a registered sex offender. Those federal counts carry steep potential penalties. West was taken into federal custody on Friday, March 27, then brought before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court, where he was ordered detained, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.
How the Undercover Sting Unfolded
According to the affidavit attached to the criminal complaint, investigators posing as an aunt responded to an online ad for sexual services and stated that the girl involved was 14. Messages then followed that allegedly negotiated both a meeting and a price. When the suspect arrived near a convenience store on Route 17K in Newburgh, agents say he walked up to an RV, flashed a condom and remarked that he could "take his time" before following an undercover officer toward the vehicle.
At that point, agents moved in and arrested him. Investigators reported finding covert recording devices in his possession, including an alarm clock with a hidden camera and a pair of video-recording eyeglasses, along with cash and other items listed in the filing. Those details are laid out in the complaint from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.
Allegations and Prior Record
The complaint alleges that West "attempted to meet with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl," language prosecutors use in framing the federal charges. Court records attached to the filing also outline a prior 2013 conviction for attempted criminal sexual act and note that West was required to register as a sex offender, facts investigators cite in the probable-cause affidavit. Those allegations are detailed in the complaint from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.
Officials Urge Public to Report Tips
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton called the alleged conduct "horrific" and said repeat offenders who prey on children have no place in our communities, according to a post by the office on X that also highlighted law-enforcement resources. Officials urged anyone who encounters similar behavior to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or by submitting a tip online. The message was shared by the U.S. Attorney's Office on X; readers can see the post at U.S. Attorney SDNY on X and submit information through the FBI.
Prosecution and Next Steps
The case is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, where Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Lelogeais is leading the prosecution, according to the office. The complaint outlines the statutory minimums and maximums linked to each charge, noting that the potential penalties run to decades in prison and, for some counts, up to life. The multi-agency investigation involved the FBI’s New York Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, working alongside state and local partners, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York said.
