Wrong number leads to trouble for Somerset man

The Somerset man who used his cell phone to make a connection with several underage boys late last year has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges.

Hector Antonia Linarez-Mata, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of lewd and lascivious behavior-exposure and disorderly conduct. A county forfeiture charge of unlawful phone use was dismissed. Linarez-Mata was placed on probation and his prosecution was deferred. He also paid a fine of $410.50.

The charges stemmed from a series of phone calls between Linarez-Mata and several middle school-age boys last November. It began when one of the boys received a call on his cell phone. He answered it and spoke with a man who the boy didn't clearly understand due to what sounded like a heavy accent. The boy figured the man had a wrong number and hung up. But when the man called back, a conversation began.

Over the course of a month, the boys received several calls from the man that included pictures of the caller including one of his genitals. The boys notified the mother of a friend when the man requested to meet the person on the other end of his calls and she contacted the North Hudson Police. A meeting was arranged via cell phone with Linarez-Mata and he was arrested in the parking lot of a North Hudson restaurant.

The charges against Linarez-Mata are misdemeanors. It is not clear if Linarez-Mata knew the party he was calling was a juvenile boy. When he asked for a photo, the boys sent a picture of a female model off the television.

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