Mascot arrested on sex charges

A Scranton man identified in arrest papers as a Grump mascot for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees was arrested during the weekend on charges he used the Internet to solicit sex with a boy who actually was a police decoy.

Jay S. Hastings, 42, of South Ninth Avenue, was arrested when he showed up to meet the fictitious 14-year-old at the Wyoming Valley Mall on Saturday night, police said.

After his arrest, Hastings told police that he had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy from Scranton who he also met on the Internet. He further admitted to having child pornography on his computer and many gay pornographic movies at his home, arrest papers say.

Police were posing as a 14-year-old boy in an Internet chat room on March 22 and received an instant message from Hastings.

A general conversation took place for several minutes with Hastings telling the fictitious boy his age, and saying he had to be careful because he knew police pose as children in chat rooms.

Hastings told the boy he works at the baseball stadium and said it didn’t bother him that the boy was 14 years old.

“… Anything done sexually to someone under 18 by an adult is considered molestation and corruption of minor and if an adult is caught with you, they can go to jail for it, even though you want it and agree to it. 14 and I see no problems, but unfortunately society does,” Hastings wrote to the boy.

Hastings chatted with the boy for two hours on March 27, describing several sexual acts, the criminal complaint says.

During a chat on March 28, Hastings wrote to the boy: “We’ll play it by ear as will need to be cautious no need to raise suspicion or alert cops (be)cause I can go to jail.”

Hastings agreed to meet the boy near the mall’s food court at about 9 p.m. Saturday. He told the boy he would be driving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees van.

Hastings showed up driving a brown car, and was arrested when he approached the police decoy.

After his arrest, Hastings told police he had access to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees van because he is the Grump and attends special appearances mainly at functions involving children.

Hastings was charged with criminal attempt to commit statutory sexual assault, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal attempt to commit indecent assault, criminal attempt of corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a communication facility. He remains jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.

Michael Cummings, spokesman for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, refused comment on Tuesday.