Volunteer-coach father from Northeast pleads guilty to sex charges involving girls he met online

He went by Vinnie, Vince or Vin, and to the girls he met on MySpace and Facebook, he was 17 or 18, had booze and pot, and wanted sex.

On Tuesday, he appeared - in person - in a Philadelphia courtroom as Vincent Mickle, 34, father, sometime volunteer girls' soccer coach, and adult college student, and pleaded guilty to sex charges involving six teenage girls, ages 14 to 16, whom he courted online. They included one 16-year-old he later met for sex at his house.

Mickle, a short, athletically built man with a graying buzz cut, quietly replied "guilty" as the crier recited more than a score of charges, including criminal solicitation to commit sexual acts with someone under age 16, unlawful sexual contact with minors, criminal solicitation to commit statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, and child pornography.

Common Pleas Court Judge Harold M. Kane set sentencing for Sept. 19, allowing time for a Megan's Law assessment to determine if Mickle, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia, must register as a sex offender.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Stackow said the charges to which Mickle pleaded guilty could result in what is effectively a life sentence for conduct between summer 2007 and March 2010.

In addition to committing sex acts with the 16-year-old, Mickle met with the others, whom he plied with alcohol or marijuana in attempts to get them to commit sex acts.

"This is the kind of guy whom every parent worries about," said Stackow.

Mickle was arrested in March 2010 after a 16-year-old reported his overtures to police. A sometime coach for Lighthouse Soccer Club, a nonprofit Northeast youth group, Mickle did not victimize the girls he coached, authorities said.

Stackow said Mickle befriended girls online and began "grooming" them for sexual encounters. In some cases, Stackow said, Mickle sent the girls photos of his penis, and other times he requested and received seminude photos of the teens.

The child pornography counts involved 15 images of children - including some sent by Mickle's victims - found on Mickle's computer in a March 4, 2010, police search of his house, Stackow said.

"It was in Vincent's best interests to proceed this way," said defense attorney Michael P. Parkinson. "I think he was doing the right thing by not bringing these people in to testify."

Contact staff writer Joseph A. Slobodzian at 215-854-2985 or jslobodzian@phillynews.com.