NORTHAMPTON — A Granby man previously convicted on child pornography charges pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he enticed young girls to send him explicit photos in exchange for concert tickets.
Eric Lacoste, 35, pleaded guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to four counts of posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct, four counts of enticement of a child younger than 16, and one count of possession of child pornography. Lacoste also admitted to a violation of probation.
Lacoste pleaded guilty in the same courtroom in 2014 to dissemination of obscene matter to a minor, posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity and one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 2½ years, of which six months had to be served and the balance suspended for five years during which time he was to be on probation.
He was arrested in September 2016 by authorities at his Darrel Avenue home in Granby after police were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of the possible exploitation of a 9-year-old girl, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Caleb Weiner explained.
The girl’s parents became concerned after her mother found her in the bathroom taking explicit pictures of herself, Weiner said. Lacoste began speaking with the girl through Instagram, a photo- and video-sharing social media service, before he “coaxed” the girl to get a different mobile messaging app, Kik Messenger, according to the prosecutor. Lacoste then enticed the girl to send him images in exchange for concert tickets or access to a particular singer.
Weiner said this was Lacoste’s way of connecting with all four of the girls he is charged with enticing. All four were from out of state and all were 13 years old or younger.
When investigators traced child pornography activity to a computer’s IP address at the Granby home, Lacoste initially denied he was the principal user of an iPad and a cellphone, Weiner said. There is no evidence Lacoste traded, distributed or sold the photos, Weiner said.
Sentencing on the charges was postponed until Tuesday afternoon. The prosecution has asked for two concurrent state prison sentences of 12 to 15 years and not less than five years. In arguing for the sentence, Weiner called the charges “extremely alarming,” “disturbing” and “problematic.”
Lacoste’s actions, Weiner said, have had a lasting effect on the victims and their families and although there was no contact, it was life-changing nevertheless.
Lacoste’s attorney, Jonah Goldsmith with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, asked for a state prison sentence of three to five years. Both recommendations include probation. Goldsmith told Judge Mary-Lou Rup that Lacoste did not fully understand the depth of the problem after his first conviction and did not fully address the issue.
“I think there is hope here,” Goldsmith said of prospects for rehabilitation, noting that Lacoste had been in therapy and has taken advantage of programming at the jail where he has been held on the charges.
Speaking on his own behalf, Lacoste told the judge he was very sorry for what he did.
“These victims and their families will live with this for the rest of their lives,” he said. “I’m very sorry.”
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.