A minister from a mega-church in Plano, Texas is facing charges of online solicitation of sex with a minor after being arrested in Bryan, Texas early Thursday (5/15).
Police say 52-year-old Joe Barron thought he had been chatting online with a 13-year-old girl, when in reality it was a police officer posing as a young girl.
Barron serves as a minister at the 26-thousand member Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. He is not the church's main pastor, but he has counseled married couples and was planning to lead a mission trip to Bogota, Colombia in August. The church has at least 20 ministers on staff.
Undercover officers arranged the meeting at a pre-determined location in Bryan on Thursday morning. Barron was arrested after driving more than three hours to the location. Officers searched his vehicle and turned up condoms and a digital camera they say Barron planned to give the girl.
Sgt. Shane Bush: "Asked him what his initial thoughts were and he said, shame, guilt, grief. Those were some of his words."
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