A Carbon County man admitted on Thursday to sending an image of himself to a teenage male and asking the victim to send him nude images of himself.

Jordan M. Beggan, 27, of Bowmanstown, formerly of Palmerton, pleaded to one count each of unlawful contact with a minor and disseminating sexual materials to a minor. The first count is a felony and carries a maximum penalty up to 20 years. In exchange for the pleas the state Attorney General’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, dropped counts of criminal use of a communication facility and corruption of minors.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Daniel Block, a special agent with the Bureau of Special Investigations of the AG office and currently assigned to the Child Predator Section, and Kathleen Fallon, a special agent for the AG’s Child Predator Section currently assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force:

On Oct. 4, Block and Fallon were contacted by Detective Kevin Buck of the Palmerton police, who was investigating a case in which Beggan sent naked images to the victim, a 16-year-old male, in April 2017.

Buck said he was contacted by the victim’s parents in April 2017 and that they told him their son had been messaging with a man on Snapchat and that the chats became sexual in nature.

Buck said they gave him all of their son’s Snapchats with Beggan, including the naked image.

They reviewed the evidence/chats and saw Beggan communicating with the victim’s Snapchat name.

At one point Beggan could be seen in an image (in the reflection of a mirror without a shirt on) stating that he was getting ready for work. He sent an image of himself and asked the teen to reciprocate.

Beggan agreed to meet the officials at the borough police station to discuss the matter. Beggan told police he met the teen at the fire station and they exchanged phone numbers.

He said they had been texting for a couple of months and eventually they exchanged Snapchat names.

Beggan, who has been an inmate in the county prison since arrest unable to post $250,000 straight cash bail, said little at the plea proceeding except to answer questions of President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II, with a “yes” or “no.” The soft-spoken defendant had to be told to speak up by the court when responding to questions.

Sentencing was deferred because the charges fall under the provisions of Megan’s Law. Beggan will submit to an evaluation by the state sexual assessment board, which will determine if he is a violent sexual predator.

Nanovic told Beggan if it’s determined he is a sexual predator he would have to register for life as a sexual offender. If not, the registration period is 25 years.

Nanovic also ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.

In Schuylkill County, Beggan has been charged with giving beer to and inappropriately touching a teenage student at a private school in Tamaqua where he worked.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled in that case for 10:30 a.m. May 2.