MIDDLESEX TWP — A suspected sexual predator was arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from two separate cases — including one in which township police posed as a 14-year-old girl on social media.

Shawn Hails, 32, of West Deer Township, Allegheny County, was placed in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail. He faces more than a dozen charges of dissemination of sexually explicit material to minors.

Police said Hails in September allegedly used a cell phone to convince a 13-year-old girl to send him a nude photograph of herself, according to court records.

The girl’s mother found the text messages and reported Hails, who she called a family friend, to police.

The girl told investigators that Hails took her and six other children on a walk through a corn field at a bonfire in August. During the walk, Hails told the girl he lost his phone and used her phone to call his.

Later that night, Hails allegedly tried to get the girl to perform sex acts but she told him she didn’t want to, according to court documents.

He began text messaging her following that day. He sent her numerous explicit images and other text messages over the next several weeks.

During their investigation of Hails, township police in November used a Facebook profile depicting a 14-year-old girl to contact Hails.

Police said Hails sent numerous sexually explicit images to the account during online conversations and said he wanted to have sex with the girl, who he believed was 14 years old.

Officers attempted to stage a meet with Hails outside the Ice Connection of Pittsburgh on Nov. 27, but Hails did not show up.

He did not reply to future messages.

Hails on Wednesday was charged with corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors, criminal use of a communication facility and 12 counts of dissemination of sexually explicit material to a minor stemming from the case involving the 13-year-old girl.

He was additionally charged with criminal solicitation involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, three counts of dissemination of sexually explicit material to a minor and criminal use of communication facilities.