Guide Note

Suburban Dallas minister Joe Barron was arrested on May 15, 2008, as part of an internet sex sting. Barron, a pastor in the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, has been charged with solicitation of a minor.

Police say the 52-year-old Barron was taken into custody after he drove to the town of Bryan, presumably to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. The "girl" was actually an undercover police officer.

May 17, 2008: During a service on Saturday night, Pastor Jack Graham announced the resignation of Barron to the congregation.

Fast Facts

1. Name: Joe David Barron
2. 52-years-old
3. Jailed on $7,000 bond
4. Barron counseled married couples and headed mission trips with the church
5. Prestonwood Baptist Church has 26,000 members
6. Arrested as part of an internet sting

Authorities say Barron had what they describe as "sexually explicit" online conversations for about two weeks with a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl. On May 13, 2008, police say Barron arranged to drive three hours to meet the "girl" in her hometown for sex, where he was later arrested.

Police say they found a web-cam, a headset and condoms in Barron's car. Authorities also searched Barron's home and his office at the church. They removed several computers, memory cards and computer disks.

1. "We are disturbed and saddened by the reports we have heard and we are praying for the Barron family. We are fully cooperating with the police in their investigation."— Mike Buster, Prestonwood Baptist Church executive pastor
2. "You need to know that we are appalled and we are disgraced by this terrible action, an unacceptable action by a minister on our staff, I'm so sorry for the injury that this kind of behavior has brought to many people in our church and outside of our church." Pastor Jack Graham