Alameda man gets probation but avoids sex offender registry for allegedly sending lewd picture to fake ‘teen’ profile

OAKLAND — An Alameda man who was charged with sending a lewd picture to a nonprofit worker posing as a teen has been sentenced to probation through a plea deal, records show.

David Carlson, 51, pleaded no contest to attempting to send lewd material to a minor. The plea deal allows him to avoid having to register as a sex offender or serve extra jail time, according to court records.

Carlson was charged last year after an investigation by the Wolf Project, a nonprofit that sends people online to pose as minors and reports online sex crimes to police.

One of the nonprofit’s employees allegedly set up a fake profile posing as a 14-year-old girl. Carlson allegedly called her “beautiful” and sent her pictures of male genitals in an attempt to trade nude photos, police said in court filings.

If Carlson avoids legal trouble, he’ll be allowed to petition the courts to reduce his conviction from a felony to a misdemeanor after one year, court records show.