A professor from the University of Michigan and a self-proclaimed "boy lover" was arrested in a sting operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he traveled to Florida with the intention of having sex with a teenage boy.

James Cavalcoli, 51, corresponded with an undercover officer, who claimed he had a teenage son, for two years before making the trip. He wrote that he was "a fellow BL [boy lover], just don't have [children of] my own" to the pretend father online, according to the New York Daily News.

The professor then sent naked, sexually explicit photos of himself to the father, and the two continued to communicate occasionally. In July, Cavalcoli then wrote about how he was planning an annual trip to Central Florida.

"Any sons or Dads in that area want to meet up for fun?" he asked, before sending a different email to the father asking him if he and his son wanted to meet.

Cavalcoli then made his way to Florida from Michigan, and brought condoms and lubricant along with him. Upon his arrival at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Weston early Friday evening, he found out the whole ordeal was a setup and was arrested on the scene, according to the Sun Sentinel.

The professor immediately confessed the crime to authorities, saying he regretted his decision to come down to Florida.

He had shown concern about a potential sting operation, writing to the father: "Can you do me a favor and reassure me you aren't police or FBI affiliated. It would also be good to meet you before going to your room OK? I know this sounds strange, this is my first time meeting."

Cavalcoli is now facing a federal charge of traveling across states to have sex with a minor, according to the Daily Mail UK.