A Newton man accused of having online sexual communications with an officer posing as an underage girl has pleaded guilty to a class D felony charge. Twenty-one-year-old Ryan Andrew Hammen was arrested last August for grooming and enticing a minor under 16 for a sexual purpose. He’s currently free on his own recognizance. On Monday, District Court Judge Nicholas Bailey accepted Hammen’s guilty plea to the grooming charge. His sentencing is set for April 20th.

Court records state the Newton Police Department began investigating Hammen after he started communicating with an officer posing as a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat. The police said the communication was of a sexual nature, and Hammen allegedly requested they meet.