FL pastor charged with sending explicit texts to girl, 15 | Miami Herald

A Central Florida pastor was jailed Tuesday and charged with obscene communication with a minor and cruelty toward a child for transmitting harmful information.

According to Marion County Sheriff’s Office Detective Craig Evans, youth pastor Christopher Patrick, 30, associated with Grace Baptist Church in Belleview, near Ocala, sent sexually explicit text messages to a 15-year-old girl.

The teen, who was in a junior high youth program run by Patrick and his wife Alison at the church, received explicit texts and images on her phone allegedly from the pastor.

Patrick was turned in by a parent who saw the messages and images on the phone. The parent told a high school resource officer and that launched the sheriff’s department investigation.

FL pastor charged with sending explicit texts to girl, 15 | Miami Herald