Published: May 27, 2008 11:12 pm      

Cambria County man arrested in Internet predator probe

CHERRY TREE — A local man was one of two men arrested by agents from the state Attorney General’s Office Child Predator Unit in investigations in western Pennsylvania.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said that Peter D. Abromovich, 44, of the 400 block of Lion Road, Cherry Tree, and Steve Kempski, 36, of Brookville, Jefferson County, were arrested in unrelated incidents.

The Cherry Tree address is in Cambria County, near the Indiana County border.

Corbett said both men thought they were using Internet chat rooms to proposition 13-year-old girls. But the chats were with undercover agents from the predator unit, Corbett said.

Abromovich also is accused of sending nude or sexually graphic photos to an undercover agent using the online profile of a child.

Abromovich was arraigned May 9 before District Judge Michael Zungali of Hastings on eight counts each of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempted unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a computer.

A preliminary hearing is set for June 23 before Zungali.