An incoming ASWSU senator resigned amid charges of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, after responding to a fake advertisement from Homeland Security agents for a sexual encounter.

Eduardo Ramos, who had not yet been sworn in as senator for the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication when he left the position, was arrested on May 5 in his hometown of Wenatchee during a prostitution sting.

Wenatchee Homeland Security Investigations, in coordination with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, created online posts in which they posed as a 14-year-old. Ramos responded and arranged to meet at a hotel, where officers arrested him.

According to the police report, Ramos exchanged several dozen messages with agents leading up to his arrest, including a number of sexually explicit messages. After searching his vehicle, officers found an opened box of condoms that Ramos admitted to buying at Walmart that night.

However, the report states that Ramos told officers he “didn’t believe he would be doing anything with the 14-year-old.”

“It’s difficult, because I know that people will come to their conclusions,” Ramos told the Evergreen. “But in my heart I know that I never intended on breaking the law or harming anyone.”

The report also states that officers told Ramos that even talking to a minor in sexual terms is illegal, and that Ramos did not dispute this. He said he had never had sexual contact with a minor before, or talked to one with the intention of sexual activity.

The maximum penalty for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes is five years in prison, depending on the defendant’s criminal history. Ramos is scheduled for a readiness hearing on Sept. 11.

ASWSU President Jordan Frost said they released the application for the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication senator Monday morning. The application will be open for two weeks, when the Senate will select a replacement from a group of people Frost nominates.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Ramos was arrested May 18. He was actually arrested May 5. The headline was also updated to better reflect the nature of this story.