Dover airman believed he was going to have sex with 14-year-old girl now charged, DOJ says

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the correct maximum prison time faced for this crime.

A Dover Air Force Base airman thought he was going to have sex with a 14-year-old girl he met on an online dating app, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

What 36-year-old Armand Nicholas Lu didn't know was the "teen girl" he'd been communicating with was really an undercover federal agent. Lu, a Dover Air Force Base technical sergeant, now faces charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The case is a reminder of how sexual predators reportedly use dating apps to prey on potential victims.

A Brigham Young University study found that 14% of dating app-facilitated sexual assaults occurred at the initial in-person meeting.

"Although this is a notable percentage," the 2022 report's authors wrote, "we believe the actual prevalence of [dating app facilitated sexual assault] is much higher as the majority of [sexual assault] victims do not report and many other [sexual assaults] occur after the initial in-person meeting.

"The question for society and dating app companies to address is: what can be done to maintain the benefits of dating app usage while markedly improving safety?"

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'Call me Lu for short'

Shortly after federal agents created a profile of an 18-year-old woman claiming to be "new to dating" and "just trynna [sic] have fun," court documents said Lu matched with the fabricated persona on March 9.

After communicating on the dating app, court documents said Lu and the persona began messaging on their cellphones.

"It's Armand Lu you can call me Lu for short" was the airman's first text to the person, according to court documents. He also sent a map of where he lived.

After they were texting, court documents claim the persona messaged: "I'm not quite 18" and that "I'm almost 15."

"We can still talk ... Let's be friends," court records said Lu responded with.

'I really like you'

As this became their way of communicating, according to the court documents, Lu began asking about the persona's prior boyfriends and expressing an interest in meeting.

"I really like you," Lu texted her on March 10, according to court documents. "And I cannot wait to meet you."

This was followed seven days later, according to documents, with more request by Lu to meet up: "I honestly want to meet you ... it's the first step to any relationship." This is also the same day Lu expressed his sexual interest in the persona.

He would express more sexual interest in the coming days, the documents claim.

While he'd already received photos of the fake person, documents claim Lu asked for more, adding he was using the images in fantasies.

Lu also demanded their communications be kept a secret and, according to court documents, expressed he could get in trouble for meeting her.

As their conversations continued, court documents said the talk about sex grew.

In one instance, the 28-page document said Lu was asked by the persona if he'd been with girls her age, to which he responded: "I have been with girls your age and inexperienced as well."

Lu would go on to provide specific details regarding his sexual interests and plans for a sexual encounter with the persona, according to the documents.

Meeting up

As March was coming to an end, court documents said the two began discussing meeting at 10 a.m. on April 2 — the day Lu had been told the persona's mother would be at work.

Lu offered to pick lunch up for her, agreeing to buy chicken tenders and a strawberry energy drink from Royal Farms.

A few days before they were scheduled to meet up, Lu texted the persona to say he'd stopped at Walmart to buy lubrication and honey. He added he had cleaned up his house in preparation for her arrival.

Lu texted the persona on April 1 to tell her his military leave had been approved and that he "took the entire day off tomorrow for us."

Busted

Lu left the house and headed to Royal Farms on April 2.

Unbeknownst to him, law enforcement had already started surveilling him as he arrived at Tidbury Park — where Lu and the persona had agreed to meet.

“I'm here,” court documents said Lu texted when arriving. “At the parking lot.”

Agents arrest Lu.

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Armed with a search warrant, federal agents searched Lu, his vehicles and house.

In his bedroom, court documents state agents found condoms, an unopened bottle of lubricant and a bottle of honey. Agents also found a pink Stanley tumbler mug Lu had bought at the persona's request.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dover airman charged with attempting to have sex with a teen girl