You are absolutely correct in that we shouldn’t crucify him, yet.

But, if he is found to be guilty as charged, perhaps it would be a good idea to really crucify him as a public service announcement.

As evidenced by what some of the younger contributors to the blogs have written recently, they’re having a difficult time as it is just getting through adolescence. The young people of all communities, not just here, could use a break if we, the supposed adults, made an example of what is socially, morally and legally acceptable.

I agree that young people don’t have it great, but a good number of them are trying to make the best out of what they do have. Removing people such as child molesters from the gene pool can be one more contribution we as adults can make towards helping our kids.

There is a cure to this affliction, and it has a 100% guaranteed success rate.

I'm sorry but your concern is misplaced. If he's a youth pastor, he probably has plenty of troubled young people in his own church to counsel without going online to talk to young girls. There is no cause for an adult male to pose as a teen to go into a teen chat room. That's using false pretenses, something I'm sure his employers would frown on. Let's not be blind. The guy shouldn't have been there and he got caught.

The thing that boggles my mind about these predators is that they continue to agree to meet girls for sex in PTC! Are they too busy stalking girls that they don't watch TV or read the paper?

Are you really our District Attorney or are you one of the trial lawyers that specializes in getting sexual predators like this guy off? The excuses....Please. Are you discounting the severity of pedophilia or what? Tell us your really joking. Please tell us your joking.

No, he was not trying to turn the 14 year old's life around. He was not conducting his own Church of Tyrone sting operation. HE WAS TRYING TO HAVE SEX WITH A 14 YEAR OLD!!!

Sorry for the capital letters, but my God, how hard is this to understand?

First of all, the "turn her life around" arguement is bogus, since if were true he would have been smart enough to alert the police sgt. that does this stuff that he was on the case and she should lay off - sort of.

Secondly, how dumb can you be livng anywhere around here - especially in the hamlet next to PTC and not know about the PTC Police Dept. sting operation? They don't ever change the age of the target (14) or the location of the meet (PTC). And they have caught 18 or 17 of these bozos and publicized each arrest. How dumb can you be?
meow

and some shouldn't even wear a badge, but I think this is right on the money. I can't believe this Pastor was on there to "save" anyone, if so, he would had put some sort of quote on there to wake them up, or most anything, but make a date with one of them! I grew up in the church and 90% of the people who go there for the right reasons. There are others that have their own agenda. I always look twice at people who wrap themselves in their religion like it is suppose to give them special privaleges. Some are very self serving. A lot of good people don't have to constantly remind you they are good Christians, it shows by the way they treat others.
I think the police are right to be on the internet, it is the last great frontier of the sex offenders as well as other criminals. Children are naive and trusting. Those on these sites have truly lost their way, but making dates with them is not the way most people would handle it. I'm sorry you feel for this man.

Give me a break! There are many ways this creep could have legitimately helped misguided teens. People like you are the reason that these scumbags think they can get away with this kind of stuff. Our whole society needs to crack down HARD on these perverts.

Yeah, I am pretty sure that will be his defense. Just like most of the guys on Dateline. "I was just coming to talk". Yet they had condoms on them.

Also from the aritcle:

"Police said Amerson contacted an undercover officer on the Internet who he believed was 14 years old, to engage in a sex act."

Especially if you are not a teen yourself. I'm glad they caught this guy when they did. There is NO WAY I could be "entrapped" into something like this. I'm betting he pleads out guilty, as the last party that took the case all the way to court got 10 years in Jail, I believe.

I don't believe entrapment was involved here. He apparently went to a website willingly, and willingly responded and communicated with someone he thought was 14. As I understand it, entrapment only applies if someone commits a crime he/she would not otherwise have committed - since he apparently was seeking to make a date with someone underage, he was not (legally) entrapped.

To my knowledge, none of the men who have been caught in this PC operation have been able to claim entrapment. Does anyone know?

Are you kidding? Most "sane" adults who are of their right mind, wouldn't even imagine going onto one of those web sites! I already know too much about this subject just by watching the news! I seriously doubt this Pastor was on that site to "save" kids. Gimme a break! Where there's smoke, there's fire!