On Saturday, Dec. 2, an Altamont man and a University at Albany student were two was of four men arrested and charged with trying to have sex with a 14-year-old, according to Chief Deputy William M. Rice of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Daniel P. Meyer, 20, the UAlbany student is from Baldwin in Nassau County. He was charged with second-degree attempted rape, a felony.

Mark S. Schmidt, 68, of 9 Sunset Drive in Altamont was charged with second-degree attempted criminal sexual act and second-degree attempted rape, according to a release from the sheriff’s office; both are felonies

The four men were arraigned at the Town of Colonie Court on Sunday, Dec. 3.

On Monday, Dec. 4, a preliminary hearing was waived and the case now moves to Albany County Court.

Rice said all four men are being held without bail Albany County’s jail.

Schmidt and Meyer have no prior criminal record, said Rice.

The sting operation was spearheaded by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Town of Colonie Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Rice said that the operation began a week before the arrests.

He said that certain language was placed into social media posts that would be a signal to people who were scanning or checking social media, looking to have sex with children.

As part of the operation, the men were first given the location of a hotel and then, when they showed up, they called or texted someone and were given a room number, said Rice.

“We give them multiple opportunities to not go through with it … to change their mind and walk away, but they don’t — they can’t,” he said. 

The Enterprise knocked on the door of Schmidt’s Altamont home for comment; there was no answer.

Schmidt is employed by the University at Albany as a photographer. 

The Enterprise asked the University about the current status of Schmidt and Meyer. Publicist Jordan Carleo-Evangelist said that he cannot comment on personnel matters.

Carleo-Evangelist also emailed The Enterprise a statement about Schmidt and Meyer:

“The University is aware of the arrests this weekend of one of its employees, Mark S. Schmidt, and one of its students, Daniel P. Meyer. Upon learning of these serious allegations, the University initiated immediate and appropriate action under campus policy, the relevant collective bargaining agreement and the student code of conduct.

“The University is not currently aware of any connection between these allegations and Mr. Schmidt’s work on campus. The University is also not currently aware of any information suggesting that the allegations against these two individuals are related.

“Any member of the University community who is concerned about past interactions with this employee or this student is encouraged to contact the University’s Office of Equity & Compliance.”

Schmidt and Meyer were arraigned with two other men: Edward T. Neville and Russell D. Blair. All were charged with second-degree attempted rape, which means that someone over the age of 18 attempted to engage in sex with someone under the age of 15. This is a felony.

In New York State, a person who is under the age of 16 but older than 13-years-old can consent to sex with a person, if that person is not more than 4 years older than the consenter.

Neville, 57, of Pennsylvania, also was charged with attempted promotion of an obscene sexual performance by a child and second-degree attempted criminal sexual act. Both are felonies.

Blair, 32, of West Sand Lake, was also charged with second-degree patronizing a person for prostitution, a felony.

Rice said that Neville is the only one of the four men who police are looking to charge with a federal crime.

“He’s hardcore … He drove two-and a-half-hours from Pennsylvania and was hours early for the encounter,” Rice said.