Man Admits Using Popular Pet Care App to Lure Teen for Sex

A 40-year-old Westchester County has pleaded guilty to a felony attempted sex abuse charge for admittedly using an app to lure a teenager into his home on the pretense of needing a dog sitter, prosecutors said Thursday. 

Charles Johnson, of Mount Vernon, used the name "Chuck J" to communicate with the teenage victim via Rover.com, a popular pet-care hiring app, on May 3. Through a series of messages, prosecutors say he lured her to his home and trapped her behind a locked door once she got there. 

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Johnson offered the teen money for sex acts and exposed himself, prosecutors say. When she refused, he forcibly groped her and kept demanding oral sex, officials say. The victim escaped and called police. There was no dog in the house. 

Johnson was arrested five days after the attack. He was remanded to jail because of three prior felony convictions; the nature of those felonies wasn't clear. 

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Sentencing is scheduled for next month. 

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