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Plano Megachurch Minister Arrested in Bryan Sex Predator Sting Save Email Print
Posted: 12:48 PM May 16, 2008
Last Updated: 11:47 AM May 17, 2008
Reporter: KBTX Staff
Email Address: news@kbtx.com

A | A | A

Bryan police have been targeting online predators---and their sting has landed two big arrests.

The first arrest was made Tuesday, when Bryan resident Christopher Scott Kazmierski allegedly began chatting to who he thought was a 13 year-old girl online.

Despite her age police say it didn't take long for him to suggest meeting up.

So when he showed up, police were waiting.

Police were also there, when a minister from Plano drove more than three hours Thursday to meet up with what he thought was a 13 year-old Bryan girl.

- Click here for cyber safety tips to protect your family.

He showed up in a different vehicle, even circled the parking lot and messaged the teen, but police we're able to put two and two together.

Joe Barron, 52, a pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, was arrested.

Police found a hymn book in his car, but there was also a box of condoms and a web camera, which police believe was intended to be a present for the girl.

Barron is charged with online solicitation of a minor. His bond was set at $7,000, but he is out of jail.

Prestonwood Baptist Church issued the following statement regarding Barron's arrest: "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."

Barron was listed on the church's website as a minister to married couples.

Bryan Police Department has made 12 arrests since 2006 in their sting involving online predators.

Tracking Barron
You could call it the wall of shame, but for Bryan Police, it's actually a wall of motivation.

Eleven mugshots of alleged predators hang on the Bryan police department's wall. Police found them allegedly chatting on-line with Bryan detectives pretending to be 13-year-old girls.

"Every time we have downtime, we get on there, officers get on there and chat," Sgt. Shane Bush with the Bryan Police Department said.

It's those chats, which can often get sexually explicit, that have led police to some of the most unlikely suspects. They've arrested a firefighter, a soldier, and now a minister.

"During those chats he was talking about the girl going to school, he asked the girl if she would skip school to meet with him during the day," Bush said.

Police say 52-year-old Joe Barron drove nearly four hours in his wife's car, to meet up with who he thought was the teen.

But instead of being greeted by a 13-year-old girl, Barron met Bryan police.

"I asked him what his initial thoughts were, he said shame, guilt, grief, those were some of his words," Bush said.

Inside Barron's car, police found laying next to a hymn book, a box of condoms, a web-camera and head-set. Police believe the web-cam may have been a present for the teen girl.

But Barron's phone may have been the biggest find.

"I think the officer stopped counting at like 25 or 30 different--apparently females, different people he was having similar chats with," Bush said.

So while police say this may not have been Barron's first meet and greet with a minor, they feel a little bit better knowing for now--they got number their 12th alleged predator off the streets.

Joe Barron was a minister at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

After police arrested him Thursday, they then drove to Plano where they were able to confiscate computers, blank CD's, and memory cards from the church and his home.

Barron is out of jail on a $7,000 bond.

Bryan police were conducting the sting in cooperation with a federal agency in developing some training, and helping them develop an online solicitation of a minor program. A federal agent was present for both arrests.

These latest arrests aren't the first for the Bryan Police Department In the last two years they've made 12 arrests involving online predators.

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Posted by: Debbie Location: Bryan on May 22, 2008 at 06:57 AM
Thank you Bryan PD for taking this guy off the streets. Too bad the judge let him out. I just don't get it.

Posted by: Helen Location: Bryan on May 21, 2008 at 04:11 PM
I am so sad for the family this man has shamed. He is held to a higher degree of decency and should be punished.

Posted by: J Location: Grimes County on May 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Thank you, Debbie.

Posted by: Debbie Location: Bryan on May 21, 2008 at 07:04 AM
Oh my God, Ron! I am Baptist AND conservative! What is wrong with me?????? On the other hand, I was also molested when I was a child. I didn't think to ask if he was a Republican or Democrat....I just hated him for being who he was; A child molester. Judges MUST start doing a better job of keeping these guys in jail for as long as possible. For life, as far as I'm concerned.

Posted by: Joel Location: College Station on May 20, 2008 at 11:38 AM
I nominate Ron for "Physic of the Year". Since he can determine political party affiliatioon, he needs to tell us when his liberal buddies in Congress are going to quit trying to wreck our oil production, and the U.S. economy. How about it Ron Hon.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 19, 2008 at 09:44 PM
A low bond again. Next he will get probation from a jury. Who is the Judge that keeps give out Low bonds? Vote this judge out. Go BPD. Good Police work.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 19, 2008 at 09:30 PM
I am republican because not everyone can be on welfare,and in Jail. This years I will stop working go on welfare and vote Democrat. I can not wait to be taxed into prosperity. I can feel your pain. But did I cause it Ron?

Posted by: Dis Robed on May 19, 2008 at 02:44 PM
Who be da judge?

Posted by: Neighbor Location: Plano on May 19, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Joe has been my neighbor for a couple years and has always been a nice guy. My 10yr old boy and 8yr old girl know Joe as a very nice man, now I need to somehow discuss this with them to ensure they've never been solicited without scaring them to death. I agree that $7,000 wasn't enough. Pray for his wife.

Posted by: The Conservative Right Location: Red State on May 18, 2008 at 02:55 PM
Ron, you forgot to mention Senator Teddy "the swimmer" Kennedy D- Mass, Arkansas hick, Billy Jeff Clinton- (No explanation needed for this one), Rep. Barney "male prostitute service" Frank D- Mass, Rep. Mel Reynolds "Child Molester" D- Illinois, Rep. Gerry Studds (Page Sex Scandal) D- Mass and my personal all time favorite --- Drum Roll Please-----------Jesse "Baby Daddy" Jackson!!!!. Yes Ron, I know you hate me for being a conservative. Libs everywhere hate people like me because we are self reliant and don't depend on a government program for our health insurance, groceries or housing. While I'm on the subject of health insurance, look to the post office to get an idea of the type of service you will get with the Barry Husein Obama/ Hildabeast government health insurance plan. Picture long lines, lost records and apathetic employees that don't care if your mother gets her chemo or not. The sad thing is John McCain is not much better than Hildabeast or Barry Husein Obama.

Posted by: concerned Location: brazos valley on May 18, 2008 at 02:25 PM
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO ARE THE JUDGES THAT KEEPS TURNING THIS TRASH BACK LOOSE ON OUR STREETS WITH A BOND NO BIGGER THAN THAT OF A PERSON WHO IS CAUGHT DRIVING WHILE LISCENCE IS INVALID,FIND OUT WHO THESE JUDGES ARE AND DO NOT VOTE FOR THEM....THEY ARE AS BAD AS THE SEX PREDATORS

Posted by: Debbie Location: Bryan on May 18, 2008 at 07:36 AM
To Ron: This is not the forum for your "Democratic left-wing" loonie statements. How do you know this minister was a "Republican" Loon? Loons on BOTH sides don't practice what they preach. As far as I'm concerned, a Loon is a Loon. This minister deserves to get whatever is coming to him. I'm sorry for his family, but I have no pity for him. Let this serve as a reminder for parents to carefully watch what their children are doing on the computer AND with their cell phones.

Posted by: To Ron Location: Babylon on May 18, 2008 at 07:11 AM
Ron, I didn't see where the article said he was a Republican. Perhaps you know the preditor on a more "personal" level.

Posted by: To Ron on May 18, 2008 at 06:25 AM
It's not a red-blue thing, Ron. There have been a few democrats busted for hot emails and being on hooker lists and murdering their mistresses and the like as well. We're all human, and some people are too weak or self centered to avoid hurting others in order to satisfy their urges no matter what their other beliefs are. And while we can't judge whether or not they can or cannot change, we have to do what is necessary to protect the innocent against them, no matter which party or church or family or color or nationality they claim to belong to

Posted by: EJ Location: Bryan on May 18, 2008 at 02:16 AM
Great job, Sgt. Bush.

Posted by: Ron Location: Garland, TX on May 17, 2008 at 03:17 PM
Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, etc. Here is another case of these Republican right-wing loonies who don't practice what they preach! They are so concerned about gay marriage and abortion yet here is a married man who is encouraging a 13 year old to skip school and have sex with him! Wake up people and smell the hypocrisy!!

Posted by: dave Location: college station on May 17, 2008 at 02:26 PM
Please keep Mr. Barron and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Obviously, what he did was heinous, but it doesn't ERASE the fact that he's a child of God, and it doesn't mean he deserves God's love any less. As the saying goes, "Let he who is without sin..."

Posted by: Weston Dunham Location: Carrollton on May 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
He is a minister at our church, it is going to be a very wierd sunday

Posted by: Shawn Location: B/CS on May 17, 2008 at 10:26 AM
$9,000 and $7,000 bonds? What judge set those? Is that what these judges think keeping children safe are worth? If anyone knows what obtuse judge set those bonds can you pass it on so that I never vote for them? This and 10 years probation for a murderer? Nice work BPD, I now know the fault in our local justice system does not fall on you!

Posted by: Cindy Location: Mesquite Tx on May 16, 2008 at 10:34 PM
How can this man say he knows God and do such a horrible thing,he would not do things like this if he was truly a christian and read his bible... Because even if no one ever found out, God would know and the bible says "IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL IN THE HANDS OF A LIVING GOD" If you get by with things in this life and never get caught, you will suffer the consequences when you die and face God on judgement day.... The bible also says "your sins will find you out, Be sure of that"... You can sit in your garage all day, and that still won`t make you a car, no more than going to church makes you a christian...it is not about a religion but a relationship with God...May God have mercy on his soul...

Posted by: Darla Location: Bryan on May 16, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Good Job BPD.I feel safe living in Bryan for the most part.

Posted by: Janbou Location: Dallas on May 16, 2008 at 10:15 PM
SAD, and sick!!!!

Posted by: Anon Location: East Texas on May 16, 2008 at 09:26 PM
Glad the officials caught him. Now, I can only imagine the hell his family is going through. I pray that the Body of Christ will minister to his family and not blame them.

Posted by: Teacher Location: Plano on May 16, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Another shining example of how our church leaders continue to fail us and NOT practice what they preach!

Posted by: ray Location: banks on May 16, 2008 at 07:02 PM
BPD DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB....WAY TO GO GUYS , BUT WHY DOES YOUR MAGISTRATES SET THE BOND ON A CHILD PREDATOR AT 7000.00 SO HE CAN JUMP BACK OUT FOR A NOMINAL FEE , AND DO IT AGAIN.GOOD WORK POLICE , PITIFUL WORK ON THE JUDGES AND JAIL...

Posted by: Anonymous on May 16, 2008 at 06:48 PM
BPD is getting good at this. Has BPD arrested any local trash let? This person does not need any probation. Sick is being nice. Good job BPD.

Posted by: Abbey Location: Grapevine on May 16, 2008 at 05:38 PM
Oh please. That web cam was not intended as a present. There are pictures on other news sights. That "man of God" had what looks like a laptop in the front passenger seat with the web cam sitting next to. It was not in any new packaging or gift wrap. This guy was going to record his sex acts with a child. I hope he gets the maximum.

Posted by: anon. Location: Bryan on May 16, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Good work Bryan PD!!!

Posted by: The Doctor Location: Bryan on May 16, 2008 at 03:07 PM
All I can say it wow. What are these people thinking. You would think with all the stings going on by police to catch sexual predators that they would think twice about meeting someone they met on line and try to get some help for themselves. But I guess not. Prestonwood is one of the largest churches in Dallas.

Posted by: J Location: Grimes County on May 16, 2008 at 02:01 PM
Sad, sad, sad. I'm glad they caught these guys. Hope they catch a bunch more.

Posted by: Denise on May 16, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Keep up the good work Bryan PD!

Posted by: Anonymous on May 16, 2008 at 01:33 PM
SICK!!!

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