WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The U.S. attorney's office has charged a Williamstown man of sexual exploitation of children.

Ronald Brown, 50, is accused of meeting a 16-year-old boy online and arranging for the boy to run away. Brown, a Level 2 registered sex offender, allegedly engaged the boy in a longer series of texts, chat sessions and email involving explicit sexual communications. On Jan. 8, Brown viewed the child masturbating on Skype and received naked photos, said prosecutors.

Brown allegedly also purchased a one-way ticket for the boy to fly to Newark, N.J., sent him $150 for traveling expenses and instructed him to erase the files on his computer. On Jan. 19, the boy flew to meet Brown.

Brown was later stopped by police as they were on their way toward Massachusetts.

The case was investigated with the assistance of the Williamstown Police Department, state police, and the New York State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow.

The maximum sentence under the statute is 50 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The affadavit against Brown can be viewed here.