Long Island law enforcement is facing a major setback in the effort to catch child predators.

A state Appellate Court ruled Thursday that sexually explicit emails sent to children are only illegal if they include sexually explicit pictures. The court overturned the conviction of a Westchester man caught in a 2005 Internet sex sting, saying the conversations the man had with an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old boy were not criminal because no explicit pictures were sent.

Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice says the ruling is a blow to the county?s cyber crime unit and jeopardizes the safety of Long Island children. Suffolk police say they will still arrest predators for using sexual language and find other laws to prosecute them.

Related Information: Court throws out conviction of man caught in WC Internet sex sting