JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — A Pittsburgh-area attorney is suing the group 814 Pred Hunters, local police and the Jefferson County District Attorney, alleging that he was illegally entrapped and arrested years ago.
In a federal lawsuit filed in December, 35-year-old Paul Luvara alleges that his civil and Constitutional rights were violated when he was arrested in December of 2023 in Punxsutawney.
Authorities say the arrest was the result of an investigation into Luvara sending sexually explicit messages to the pred hunters group, which was posing as a 15-year-old girl.
Luvara later pleaded guilty and is now serving a 30-month-to-7-year state prison sentence.
The suit also alleges that police failed to do an independent investigation, and Luvara was arrested and prosecuted based solely on communications with the pred hunters group.
In his suit, Luvara is seeking to overturn his guilty plea, dismiss all charges against him, be released from prison and recover damages.