Scott Silverthorne, the mayor of Fairfax, Virginia, has been arrested in a police sting operation targeting a local meth ring.

Silverthorne, a Democrat elected in 2012, was charged with exchanging meth for sex with men.

According to the police report, officers were tipped off last month about a meth dealer who was using hookup apps to find clients.

An undercover detective created a profile on this website and within a few days, the suspect made contact through the website. After the initial exchange, the suspect communicated via text messaging.

During the course of communication, the suspect advised that he could provide methamphetamine for sexual encounters. Undercover detectives agreed to meet the suspect for a group sexual encounter in exchange for methamphetamine. The suspect arranged to bring methamphetamine along with other men to the engagement.

On Thursday the Street Crimes Unit met the suspect, who turned out to be Silverthorne, at the Crowne Plaza in Tysons Corner.

After providing the drugs, Silverthorne, 50, was arrested and charged with felony distribution of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Two other men, Juan Jose Fernandez and Caustin Lee McLaughlin, were identified as his suppliers.

Silverthorne, 50, has been undergoing treatment for cancer since last year. He revealed his diagnosis publicly in a TV broadcast of a city council meeting.

His father, Frederick W. Silverthorne, was mayor of Fairfax in the late 1970s and early 1980s.