KINGSTON – A Canadian national, who arranged a meeting with a 14-year-old girl for a sexual encounter, is in custody, after an undercover Internet sting by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC).

The ’14-year-old’ was in fact an undercover investigator.

Sheriff Paul VanBlarcum said the charges against Arulkumaran Thanabalasingam, of Scarborough, Ontario, stem from a six-month investigation begun in March. 

Thanabalasingam, 28, had engaged in numerous conversations with the supposed 14-year-old girl.  During the Internet conversations, Thanabalasingam initiated communication of a ssexual nature.  He also sent two webcam videos and five phographs of himself performing sexual acts.

Thanabalasingam indicated he wanted to meet the girl for purposes of having sex.  He said he could not afford to come to Ulster County, but requested that the girl meet him in the Buffalo area.  He said he would take her across the Canadian border. 

The meeting was to take place Wednesday afternoon, July 2, at the train station in downtown Buffalo.  Members of the Ulster County ICAC, New York State Police ICAC in Batavia and the FBI set up surveillance. 

Thanabalasingam arrived at about 6:15 p.m., three hours after the scheduled meeting time.  He was placed under arrest without incident and transported back to Ulster County.

Thanabalasingam is charged with seven counts of first degree disseminating indecent material to a minor, a felony.  He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.