CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A DuBois man is facing charges after a local group accused him of trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Ryan Sprague, 30, was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 1 after a group called the 814 Pred Hunters approached him at a Sheetz along Brady Street, according to the DuBois Police Department. Police noted the group voluntarily and independently search the internet for what they described as “child sex predators,” according to the criminal complaint.

Officers were sent to the convenience store at 6:11 p.m. for a disturbance. Once at the scene, the group was found at a corner of the building and had surrounded a man who was later identified as Sprague.

According to police, members of the group provided a binder with transcripts from Facebook messages between Sprague and a member who posed as a 15-year-old girl. The group claimed Sprague had sent various messages soliciting sexual acts and had likely bought condoms before arriving at Sheetz.

Sprague was handcuffed and placed in a patrol vehicle before police released the group from the scene. According to the criminal complaint, Sprague said “I can’t believe I did this” as he was being arrested.

Officers questioned Sprague in the patrol vehicle and asked him if he had condoms. Sprague said he bought condoms earlier that evening from Walmart and had them in his truck. When police searched the vehicle, they could not find the condoms but found a bag with a receipt for condoms, according to the criminal complaint.

Sprague was later questioned at the DuBois City Police Department where police said he admitted to going to Sheetz to meet the girl. Sprague initially claimed he didn’t know the girl’s age but later said he knew he was meeting a 15-year-old and confirmed the messages provided to police were accurate, according to court documents.

Police noted the messages between Sprague and the decoy juvenile started on Jan. 10. According to the criminal complaint, Sprague was told early on he was talking to a 15-year-old and had also repeatedly said he “didn’t want to get in trouble.”

The transcripts also allegedly showed Sprague exchanged photos and sent numerous sexually explicit requests. According to the criminal complaint, Sprague arranged to meet the girl around her mother’s work schedule to hide their relationship.

Sprague was arraigned on Thursday, Feb. 2 and placed in Clearfield County Prison where he’s being held on $100,000 bail. He’s charged with felony statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10.