Ventura pastor caught in sting, tried to target minor for sex, officials say

A Ventura County minister and former instructor was charged Wednesday with a number of felonies associated to speaking with a minor with a purpose to have intercourse.

Barry Fike, a pastor at Fillmore Church of Christ, allegedly thought he was messaging with a 15-year-old lady and even despatched this individual “specific pictures of himself,” the Ventura County district lawyer’s workplace stated in a information launch.

The suspect, Fike, was really speaking with an undercover police officer, the D.A.’s workplace stated. The district lawyer’s workplace didn’t present specifics however stated “the conversations have been sexual in nature” and the “chatroom Fike was allegedly speaking in didn’t have any security options in place to confirm an individual’s age or to observe the communication.”

Fike was arrested Monday.

“There are various chatrooms on-line that aren’t moderated or don’t take any steps to restrict grownup contact with minors,” Terrance Dobrosky, the supervising district lawyer investigator, wrote in a information launch. “All too typically, this exposes kids to potential exploitation as predators benefit from the restricted oversight.”

Fike has been charged with 4 felony counts of sending materials to seduce a minor, one felony depend of contacting a minor with intent to commit sexual offense and one misdemeanor depend of arranging a gathering with a minor for lewd goal. The 67-year-old pleaded not responsible Wednesday and was being held in custody with bail set at $150,000, in line with the Ventura County district lawyer’s workplace.

A public defender who represented him in courtroom didn’t reply to a request for remark. Fike is due again in courtroom July 27.

The Fillmore resident beforehand taught at Oaks Christian Excessive Faculty in Westlake Village for almost 11 years till 2014, in line with his LinkedIn web page. Faculty representatives didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Fike additionally taught at Pepperdine College however “just isn’t at present an teacher on the college,” in line with the Ventura County district lawyer’s workplace.

Pepperdine College spokesperson Michael Friel instructed The Occasions that Fike final taught on the faculty in December 2021 and described him as “a former visiting assistant professor.”

“We take these allegations very severely, and can absolutely cooperate as wanted with the investigation,” Friel stated in an electronic mail. “The security of our college students is our paramount concern.”