A 27-year-old Boise man who tried to have sex with teenage girl he met over the internet is charged with lewd conduct.
Ada County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Richard A. Harshman early Monday morning — hours after the girl ran away from his south Boise home and went to a nearby house to get away.
Deputies began their investigation just before 1:30 a.m. Monday after being called to a home in the Victory/Cole roads neighborhood.
Once they arrived, the girl told deputies she met and began communicating with a man on the Internet dating site OkCupid about two weeks ago.
There is evidence the online communication continued until late Sunday night, when the man made arrangements to pick up the girl at her house and take her to his house in South Boise.
It appears as if both Harshman, 27, and the girl, 15, posted fake ages for themselves on the online dating site.
The girl said once she got in the car she quickly figured out that the man, later identified as Harshman, was older than he said he was.
The girl said when they got to his home, the man grabbed her and tried to get her to have sexual contact. She resisted and eventually left the house and went to another home to use the phone.
Detectives arrested Harshman later Monday morning after doing interviews and collecting evidence.
Harshman is set to make his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon. The crime of lewd conduct is punishable by up to life in prison.