Most people know that it is illegal for an adult to have sex with someone who is younger than 18 years old. It is not illegal for an older man to have sex with a much younger woman. However, in many situations, the older a person gets, the harder it can be to accurately gage the age of a younger person.

Because of a situation like that, a 58-year-old St. Paul man is currently facing felony sex crime charges for asking a 15-year-old girl for sex. When the man asked the teen if she was interested in having sex, he admitted that he didn't know how old she was, and he wanted to verify that she was older than 18.

At about 11 p.m., the man sent the teen a text message. She had already gone to bed, and she saw his text message the next morning. According to police reports, the text said, "Would u ever consider getting intimate with me if u were 2 be paid $500 4 one nt?" Later in the text, the man also stated, "I had 2 b sure that u aren't a minor or this would never b happening," and he acknowledged that he knew it wasn't right to offer her money for sex.

The teen told her mom about the text, and her mom called the police. The police used the teen's phone to send the man more text messages, clarifying that he was actually asking for sex. When the man responded positively, the police went to his apartment and arrested him.

The police learned that the man knew the teen and her mother because he had done maintenance work at their previous residence. It is unclear why the man had the teen's phone number and whether they had been in communication previously.

When the police were arresting the man, they also discovered a glass pipe and crack cocaine in his possession. He was charged with one count of asking a teenager for sex in exchange for money and one count of possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. If the man is convicted of both charges, he could face up to 15 years in jail and a fine of up to $30,000.

Source: CBS Minnesota WCCO, "Charges: Man Texted Girl, 15, To Hire Her For Sex," Jan. 13, 2012