Commonwealth v. Joseph

BECK, J.:

¶ 1 In these two appeals1 following appellant Dominick Joseph’s convictions for criminal solicitation to commit rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses, we consider whether the trial court had the authority to impose a suspended sentence. We also address evi-dentiary issues related to the entrapment defense and Joseph’s additional claims of trial error. We vacate and remand for resentencing.

¶ 2 In the summer of 2001, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office (AGO) set up an online sting operation aimed at apprehending people who seek to have sexual contact…