GavelAn eastern Iowa man has been sentenced to just under 13 years in prison for trying to meet an underage girl for sex.

Thirty-one-year-old John Michael Riepe of Davenport was found guilty of enticement of a minor in August after a trial before a jury. Prosecutors presented a letter Riepe sent to a 15-year-old girl at Pleasant Valley High School that included his picture and phone number.

The letter was turned over to the Scott County Sheriff’s office and a deputy, claiming to be the teenage girl, traded text messages with Riepe, who suggested they meet and have sex.

When Riepe arrived at the location where he intended to pick up the girl, he was arrested. This week, a federal judge sentenced Riepe to 151 months in prison.

Riepe was also ordered to serve ten years of probation following his prison term, pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and to have no contact with any minors under the age of 18.

Additional evidence presented at his trial showed Riepe had initiated prior contacts with several minor females in the past, which led to him being banned from Davenport area high schools.

“If we can minimize the walks then it is O.K. to give up maybe a hit or two in an inning as long as we don’t give up the big hit.”

Radio Iowa