ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A Valhalla man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Dean Picariello, 33, was also ordered to serve a life term of post-release supervision.

Picariello admitted that in November 2020, he used a social media messaging application to engage in a sexually explicit conversation with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. Later that month, Picariello started exchanging sexually explicit messages with a second person he thought was the first individual’s 11-year-old cousin.

Picariello traveled to Menands on December 3, 2020, to meet and have sex with the cousins. Instead, he was met by law enforcement officers at the prearranged meeting location and arrested.

Picariello has two prior convictions of rape in the third degree involving victims under 17. He will be required to register as a sex offender when released from prison.