An East Lampeter Township man was sentenced to 16 months to five years in prison last Thursday after pleading guilty to charges he attempted to have sex with a 14-year-old following an undercover sting by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Benjamin Gill, 24 of the 400 block of Bentley Ridge Boulevard, pleaded guilty before Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle to counts of patronizing a victim of human trafficking (criminal attempt), statutory sexual assault – 8 to 11 years older (criminal attempt), corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, and indecent assault of a person less than 16 (criminal attempt).

Gill was also sentenced to five years of probation following his prison term and must register as a sex offender with Pennsylvania State Police for 25 years.

The Human Trafficking Task Force conducted an undercover detail in April 2023 focused on the solicitation of minors for sex online.

Gill responded to an online advertisement and began communicating with an undercover HTTF detective posing as a family member of a 14-year-old female, who Gill agreed to pay $300 to have sex with for an hour.

Gill was in possession of $305 and the phone used to facilitate the crime when he was taken into custody at the agreed-upon meet-up location.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Amos Glick filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.