Man arrested in North Adams child sex sting

A 49-year-old Massachusetts man has been arrested for trying to entice a who he thought was a 14-year-old North Adams girl for sex.

James Wooldridge, of Plainfield, communicated with the person between the fall of 2022 and Oct. 4, 2023. The conversations were sexual in nature and included requests for sexual acts, pictures, description of the girl’s body and that she wear certain lingerie at a planned future meeting, according to the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office.

Wooldridge was actually corresponding with a police officer posing as a girl. He said he knew the girl’s age and that there would be consequences if the sexual nature of their conversations were discovered, police said.

Wooldridge and the girl arraigned to meet up in person. When the suspect arrived at the designated location, the North Adams Police Department arrested him. A police search found two condoms and the cell phone he had used to communicate.

Wooldridge was charged with dissemination of matter harmful to a minor and enticing a child under 16.

He was arraigned in Berkshire County Court and bail was set at $25,000. He cannot have any direct or indirect contact with children under 18 except biological children and grandchildren.