Massachusetts Judge Cara Krysil releases 2 men charged with attempted rape of a child in sex crime sting

A Massachusetts judge set a zero-dollar bail for two men accused of attempting to pay for and meet a 15-year-old for sex at a hotel in Lowell.

45-year-old Marciel Neto and 53-year-old David Passacantilli were arrested by undercover officers after driving to a hotel in Lowell in response to a fake escort advertisement posted on a website commonly used for prostitution. Both men were told in advance that the person they were communicating with was 15 years old.

An undercover cop posing as a teenager texted Neto “im a lil younger than my ad… hope ur cool with that,” to which he responded, “im good baby.” He later drove to the hotel with $351 in cash. Prosecutors said Neto admitted to investigators that he arrived with the expectation of sexual contact. He also requested a Portuguese-speaking interpreter for his arraignment.

Passacantilli was similarly informed that the girl was 15, “almost 16,” and had agreed to pay $100. He arrived at the hotel with $883 in cash before being taken into custody.

The two men were charged with enticing a child under 16, paying for sexual conduct with a child under 18, and attempting to commit a felony, namely the rape of a child.

After appearing before Judge Cara L. Krysil the next day, the judge released both of them on their own recognizance. They were not required to post bail and were not ordered to wear GPS monitors or ankle bracelets, according to a report by the Mass Daily News. As conditions of release, both were ordered to stay away from minors, and Neto was required to surrender his passport.

The next court day for the two men is scheduled for April 16.