A Level 3 sex offender was arrested Monday at his Centereach home for online solicitation of a ?teen,? however, police say a court ruling prevents more serious charges against the man.

According to police, Andrew Lubrano, 39, engaged in explicit talks online with an undercover detective he thought was a teenage boy. Lubrano was charged with several misdemeanors, including attempted endangering the welfare of a child.

Suffolk detectives lament that due to a recent court ruling they were unable to charge Lubrano with more serious felony charges. The New York State Appellate Division ruled this past July that chat only, no matter how graphic, was not sufficient to depict sexual conduct.