CASTLETON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A Castleton-on-Hudson man who raped a then-15-year-old in 2002 was convicted Thursday of a separate crime, in which he exchanged several sexually explicit texts with people he believed to be a 10-year-old girl and her mother. Charles Wager, 55, was found guilty after a four-day trial.

The evidence at trial showed that in January and February 2021, Wager not only traded pictures with the presumed mother and 10-year-old but arranged to meet them in person. On Feb. 5, 2021, he traveled from Castleton-on-Hudson to Binghamton, to have sex with the child. He was instead met by police, who arrested him.

Ever since the 2002 rape, Wager has been required to register as a sex offender. Following his arrest in February 2021, Wager also admitted to sexually molesting two other minors several decades ago.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica. Wager will spend at least 20 years behind bars, pay a fine of up to $250,000, and serve at least five years’ probation for the crimes.

The FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force investigated this case. This task force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.