A 42-year-old Colorado man was arrested at a short-term rental home in Malta, New York, after the Saratoga County sheriff said he had come to the area planning to sexually abuse three children. Preston Purdy believed he was communicating with a woman who would give him access to the children, ages 11, 8 and 3, for sex, according to police.
The Saratoga County sheriff said Purdy had plans to have sexual contact with three children once he arrived at the rental property, according to WNYT. Authorities said he came to Malta believing the arrangement would grant him access to the three kids, whose ages were given as 11, 8 and 3.
How the Alleged Plot Unfolded
Investigators said Purdy believed he was in contact with a woman who would provide access to the children for sex, per the same report. The sheriff's account indicates Purdy traveled to the short-term rental specifically for that purpose, though the exact arrangements that led him there were not detailed in the report.
The sheriff also said Purdy had been communicating online with a group known as New York State Predator Alert, a detail the station's report attributed directly to the sheriff's account of the investigation. That online contact appears to be central to how authorities say the alleged plan came together before Purdy's arrest at the Malta property.
A Separate Social Media Page With a Similar Name
Online predator-alert groups and pages have drawn significant followings elsewhere in New York State in recent months. A page called New York State Predator Alert 2.0 had amassed around 44,000 followers following a spike in activity and a renaming in February, according to The Ithaca Voice. It is not established whether that page is connected to the New York State Predator Alert group referenced in the sheriff's account of the Malta case.
Details beyond the sheriff's described allegations — including charging documents, Purdy's arrest date, and any statement from him or an attorney — have not been made available. The case remains under the Saratoga County sheriff's description of events as reported.
