MANHATTAN-The former "Hot Stuff" editor of U.S. Weekly Magazine lost his sizzle last week after being sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 72 months in prison for the attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Timothy McDarrah, aka "PS41alum@aol.com has also been ordered to serve a term of four years of supervised release.

On Dec. 20, following an eight-day jury trial in Manhattan federal court, McDarrah was found guilty of one count of attempted child enticement.

Court records show that McDarrah, who worked as an editor and reporter for U.S. Weekly from October 2004 to about September 2005 initially responded to an undercover advertisement the FBI had posted on June 22, 2005, in the "erotic services" section of the Internet website "Craigslist," offering the "freshest, youngest girls" available in New York City. Following an exchange of e-mails prompted by that advertisement, McDarrah asked, "what it'll cost for the cutest white 14 year old girl with a pony tail in the whole 8 grade."

McDarrah specified in graphic terms the sexual activities he desired, agreed to pay $200 for oral sex with a 13-year old girl and made plans to meet the girl on July 7, 2005. However, he did not appear at that meeting. Thereafter, using the Internet screen name"PS41alum@aol.com," he communicated over the Internet with "Julie" whom McDarrah believed to be a 13-year girl, but who was actually an undercover FBI agent posing as a young girl. From July 21, 2005 through Sept. 14, 2005, McDarrah, then 43 years old, communicated with "Julie" via instant messages, e-mails, and two telephone conversations. Among other things, McDarrah wrote that he would tutor her to get her into high school, and provide her with "sex lessons." McDarrah also described his job at US Weekly and how he interviewed and reported about the lives of celebrities such as Renée Zellweger and Jennifer Lopez.

He also e-mailed a photograph of himself to "Julie" and at McDarrah's request, "Julie" sent him a picture purporting to be her, of a real 13-year old girl. In his communications with "Julie" McDarrah said he needed to be careful in case law enforcement was involved, and even sent her a newspaper article of a man who had been arrested in Pennsylvania for going after an undercover officer posing as a 13-year old in a chatroom. McDarrah told "Julie" that he wanted her "to see what trouble" he could get into with her, and stated: "Hope this never happens to me!!!".

McDarrah also went to the area where he believed "Julie" was living in an effort to see her. He wrote her that he went there twice; the third time McDarrah appeared at the location, FBI agents arrested him.

Prosecutors said he also sent e-mails in response to other advertisements, asking if the poster was really 18 and stating that younger was fine with him. 4-21-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette