Priest charged in underage sex sting

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A Greek Orthodox priest in Ohio has been arrested on charges including attempted rape after allegedly trying to arrange to have sex with boys, police said.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said in a release the Rev. Patrick Hughes, 56, was arrested at 7 p.m. Tuesday when he arrived at a location where he thought he was going to meet two boys, ages 9 and 14, for a sexual encounter, The Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday.

Hughes, acting dean at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus, had posted a notice on an adult website "indicative of someone looking for sexual relations with children," the sheriff's office said in a news release. A detective assigned to the county Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force responded to the post and set up the meeting.

Hughes was charged with attempted rape, a second-degree felony, and attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, the Dispatch said.

He was being held Thursday on $100,000 following a court appearance Thursday.