Former 'Pray Away the Gay' Pastor Solicited Teen Boy: Cops

A onetime face of the movement to "pray away the gay" is now facing felony charges in Florida. Alan Chambers, a former pastor who led the now-defunct Exodus International conversion ministry and runs two men's clothing stores in Winter Park, was arrested Monday after an undercover investigation, authorities say. He's accused of sending explicit messages over Snapchat and Telegram to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy but who was actually a sheriff's deputy, reports WESH. Chambers once said he got involved with Exodus when he was 19 and seeking to "feel about women the way I felt about men," notes the Orlando Sentinel.

Chambers, who has no prior arrests, was granted bond totaling $15,000 on three third-degree felony counts: solicitation of a minor via computer, distributing obscene material to a child, and unlawful use of a communications device. A judge ordered him to avoid all contact with minors and limit his internet use to business purposes. Chambers, who publicly apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and shut down Exodus in 2013, currently serves as president of the Park Avenue District merchant association; its board has suspended him pending review. He left jail late Wednesday after posting bond and will remain free until trial. An arraignment is expected in the coming weeks.