ORLANDO, Fla. (TCN) — A former Christian minister whose aim was to “cure” LGBTQ+ people through conversion therapy has been charged after he allegedly sent sexual messages to a person he thought was a teenage boy, according to authorities.
WFLA reports that 54-year-old Alan Chambers allegedly started chatting with an undercover agent in February. According to an arrest report obtained by WESH, the undercover agent was posing as a 14-year-old boy and Chambers allegedly sent him nude photos and other messages with sexual content.
WFTV reports that Chambers allegedly messaged the agent first on Snapchat before moving their conversation off the platform and onto the messaging app Telegram as well as text messages. Chambers and the agent allegedly discussed meeting in person multiple times; Chambers allegedly told the agent to take an Uber to meet him at his office in Winter Park, Florida.
Chambers was the leader of Exodus International, a Christian organization focused on “curing” LGBTQ+ people through conversion therapy. The organization had 260 affiliated ministries and shut down in 2013. WFLA reports that in a statement on the Exodus website, Chambers renounced conversion therapy and said he was sorry to LGBTQ+ people “for years of undue suffering and judgment at the hands of the organization and the church as a whole.”
Chambers was arrested during a traffic stop on May 19, according to WFLA. He was charged with solicitation of a minor via computer, transmission of material harmful to minors, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. WESH reports that Chambers is free pending trial after paying $15,000 bond, $5,000 for each count. He is allowed online for business purposes only and is not to have contact with minors.
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