Tampa Man, Registered Sex Offender Accused of Using Bible App to Befriend Youth Group Girls

News Channel 8
November 2, 2019

https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/registered-sex-offender-accused-of-using-bible-app-to-befriend-youth-group-girls/


A registered Florida sex offender is accused of using a bible app to befriend young girls in a church youth group.

A confidential source notified police that 50-year-old Tampa man Douglas Kersey was using The Bible App – YouVersion to befriend teenage girls in their church and talk with them online.

The confidential source told law enforcement Kersey crated a profile under the name “Doug K” and started befriending girls in the same youth group.

Investigators learned Kersey never registered the email used on his bible app profile with the sheriff’s office, which sexual offenders are required to do. Failure to register any new email address with the sheriff’s office or FDLE is a third degree felony.

Kersey is charged with two counts of failure of sexual offender to register and violation of probation from prior out-of-county arrests.