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Former Alabama youth pastor arrested in sweeping sex sting allegedly solicited 14-year-old boy

By Leada Gore
AL.com
September 15, 2016

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/09/4_alabama_men_nabbed_in_sweepi.html

David Hoppenjan, a pastor at Pace United Methodist Church and former Alabama youth minister, was among those arrested in a recent Pensacola child sex sting.

Twenty-two men – including 4 from Alabama and a former youth pastor at a Wetumpka church - were arrested in an internet sting that targeted adults who traveled to Pensacola to have sex with children.

Dubbed "Operation Undertow," the Pensacola police said the sting took place Sept. 7-11. Warrants were issued for all of the suspects after they contacted undercover agents via the computer in an attempt to arrange sexual encounters with teenage males and female.

The suspects were arrested when they arrived at the designated location where they thought they would be meeting the teens. They were instead met by Pensacola police.

"This effort of arresting and prosecuting these individuals helps to stop future abuse," said Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander III. "This was five days of hard work for our officers, dispatchers, support personnel, and personnel from other agencies in addition to the planning of this operation."

Among those arrested was David Hoppenjan, 52, of Pace, Florida, senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Pace. Prior to coming to Pace last year, Hoppenjan was executive pastor at Shalimar United Methodist Church in Florida for nine years and before that, he was youth pastor at Wetumpka First United Methodist Church in Alabama.

According to police, Hoppenjan traveled to two locations in Pensacola with the intention of having oral sex with a 14-year-old boy.

Hoppenjan's profile has been removed from the church's staff page and the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church said Hoppenjan is no longer a pastor with the church.

"As a church, we take any allegation of clergy misconduct very seriously," the Alabama-West Florida Conference said in a written statement. "The United Methodist Church requires clergy to live by the highest ethical and moral standards. Conduct that violates these standard is a very serious matter and is not tolerated."

The conference said it is fully cooperating with authorities in any investigation.

"The safety of all children in our communities is a priority," the conference statement sad. "This is a painful and difficult situation for members of the congregation that (Hoppenjan) served and we will keep all of those affected in our prayers."

Others charged with traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child were:

  • Alfred Foster, 71, of Mobile
  • Charles Phillips, 53, of Mobile
  • David Olmos, 24, Pensacola
  • Calvin Pearson, 31, Pensacola
  • Claudio Mistri, 56, Pensacola
  • Devin Gilchris, 21, Pensacola
  • Adelardo Gonzales, 51, Pensacola
  • Grayson Blanton, 18, Pensacola
  • Jackson Silliman, 21, Pace
  • Frank Rhobotham, 68, Pensacola
  • Darius Lambert, 33, Pensacola
  • Alex Johnson, 19, Pace
  • Mison Johnson, 22, Crestview
  • Alexander Croyle, 22, Pensacola

Also arrested were:

  • Jose Ramirez-Magos, 51, of Irvington, Alabama, charged with traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, transmitting information harmful to minors, and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
  • Bradly Jones, 46, of Lake View, Alabama, charged with traveling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug equipment.
  • John Staples, 24, of Milton, Florida, charged with traveling to meet after using a computer to solicit a guardian, and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.
  • Jeff Harrison, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, charged with using a computer to solicit a parent/guardian for consent and traveling to meet using a computer to solicit a guardian.
  • Erik Huber, 29, of Biloxi, Mississippi, charged with misrepresenting age using a computer to solicit/lure/seduce and traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child.
  • Justin Hill, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, charged with traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child and transmitting information harmful to minors.
  • Christopher Foster, 24, of Meridian, Mississippi, charged with using a computer to seduce/lure/seduce a child and traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child.

Warrants have been issued for several more suspects, police said.

Contact: lgore@al.com




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