Lebanon police arrest Windsor man in underage online sex sting

LEBANON — A 40-year-old Windsor man is facing attempted sexual assault charges after police say he tried to meet someone he thought was an underage girl for sex, according to court documents.

Andrew Snide pleaded not guilty Friday in Grafton Superior Court to felony charges of attempted sexual assault and prohibited use of a computer following his arrest the day before.

Superior Court Judge Lawrence MacLeod ordered Snide released on a $20,000 bond with the conditions that he has no contact with minors other than his children, that he does not use social media and that he reports to the Lebanon Police Department four times a week, according to a bail order.

The arrest stems from a weeklong undercover investigation led by the Lebanon Police Department. On Sunday, police created a profile on social media, posing as a 19-year-old girl and soon got a message from Snide, according to an affidavit written by Lebanon Police Officer Eric Hunter.

Posing as the teenager, police told Snide the girl was actually 15, but Snide continued the conversation anyway, according to the affidavit. He sent sexually explicit messages and eventually arranged a meeting outside a grocery store on Route 12A in Lebanon on Thursday afternoon, Hunter wrote.

When Snide arrived at the store, police took him into custody and charged him with attempted sexual assault of a minor.

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