California Pastor James Stockton Faces Felony Charges in Undercover Sting Operation

Pastor James Stockton's Allegations

• 📌 Pastor James Stockton, 54, of South Bay Church of God in Torrance, California, is facing a felony charge for allegedly arranging a meeting with a minor for illicit purposes.
• 🚫 He has pled not guilty to the charges.
• 💬 The allegations stem from text exchanges with an undercover decoy who was pretending to be a 16-year-old boy.

Details of the Alleged Communications

• 📱 Alleged text messages show Stockton sending a selfie and asking about the decoy's school schedule.
• ✉️ In one exchange, Stockton reportedly texted, "I promise to be gentle and make sure you are enjoying it."
• 🗣️ Stockton allegedly expressed a hope that the person he was meeting was older, stating, "Actually, I was hoping and praying that it was somebody older."

Community and Church Reaction

• 😮 People who know Pastor Stockton in Torrance expressed shock and disbelief regarding the criminal charges.
• ⛪ Representatives from the South Bay Church of God stated they were shocked and had no comment on the matter.
• 🌐 The church's website was taken down after the story broke over the weekend.

Legal Proceedings and Defense

• ⚖️ Stockton is out on his own recognizance and has no prior criminal record, which contributed to this decision.
• 📅 His next court date is scheduled for December 12th.
• ❓ The defense attorney argued there was "no actual victim" because the person Stockton was communicating with was a decoy.
• ✅ However, the prosecution maintains that communicating with someone believed to be a minor for sexual purposes is illegal, regardless of the decoy's true identity.