BEAUMONT — Judge Raquel West has sentenced Kirt Vavasseur, 32, to 15 years in prison for second-degree online solicitation of a minor.

Vavasseur was also sentenced concurrently to 10 years in the Institutional Division in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on three other charges of online solicitation related to the same investigation.

In an issued statement, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office said that shortly before Halloween 2017, law enforcement assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted Operation “Trick or Treat” to target individuals attempting to prey on children over the internet.

A task force member posed online as a 14-year-old girl named “Jane” and Vavasseur contacted her. Vavasseur told “Jane” he was 16 and not long into their conversation, Vavasseur sent “Jane” four pictures of himself and his genitals. Over the next month, they exchanged sexually explicit messages and he asked her to meet him in person.

On Nov. 27, Vavasseur made plans with “Jane” to meet at a store in Fannett where law enforcement identified him and later arrested him on four charges of online solicitation of a minor.

Three of the cases were third-degree felonies, with a range of punishment of two to 10 years in TDC. The fourth case was a second-degree felony with a punishment range of two to 20 years TDC because of Vavasseur’s attempt to meet with “Jane.”

Vavasseur must register as a sex offender for 10 years.