Posted on 12/05/2023 7:28:23 PM PST by Morgana
Alphonso Joseph, the 50-year-old Palm Coast resident and former pastor at several Bunnell churches, was sentenced this afternoon to five years in prison followed by 10 years on sex-offender probation after pleading guilty to having sex with an underage boy.
Joseph will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and will have to follow rigorous sex-offender conditions once released from prison, where he will not be eligible for early release. His conditions include a prohibition on working or volunteering as a pastor or church leader in any capacity. Joseph had been a pastor at Vision Cathedral and Destined for Greatness Ministries in Bunnell.
The sentencing was scheduled following an open plea, meaning that the judge would have decided the punishment. But this afternoon the lawyers in the case told Circuit Judge Terence Perkins that they had re-negotiated the plea to include a proposed sentence, to which the judge agreed. The sentence was negotiated between defense attorney Steven Robinson and Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark. Joseph had faced a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Joseph was arrested late the night of July 14, 2022. A noise complaint about loud music spilling from a car parked at the disused Matanzas Woods golf course in north Palm Coast drew law enforcement there. Sheriff’s deputies found Joseph in a Toyota Camry with a 15-year-old boy. The pastor and the boy were in the back seat, pulling up their pants.
The boy told authorities he had had met Joseph on a dating app. Joseph had picked him up at a particular address and driven him to the golf course. Joseph told deputies he and the boy were “just chillin’.”
Joseph posted bail on $15,000 bond within a day of his incarceration. He’d been free until today, when he appeared in court with some 10 people sitting behind him in the gallery, some of whom might have testified on his behalf had it still been an open plea, and their testimony could influence the judge’s decision.
The victim’s mother attended by zoom and briefly addressed the court. “It did change my life and my son’s life tremendously,” she said. “I went through a lot of mental health things. I just pray everything works out for this gentleman. And just know that it really affected my family a lot. It affected me as a mother–a lot.”
Joseph did not say anything other than answer the judge’s routine questions when the sentenced was passed.
He was convicted on a charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim younger than 16 but older than 12. Once released, he will have to comply with a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew daily. He will be prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of a school or park or any place where children gather, prohibited from contact with any children–anyone under 18–other than court-supervised contact, and will be barred from holding jobs or volunteering at numerous types of jobs that entail contact with children, such as day care centers, zoos, malls and theme parks. Other restrictions and prohibitions apply.
The case had been moving to trial late this summer when the defense indicated that Joseph would plead out. He did so initially on Aug. 31.
The pastor met the 15 year old on the dating app Grindr.
The same Grindr Planned Parenthood is pushing on kids in High school and Jr High.
So a 15 year old boy goes on and hooks up with a 50 year old preacher. Mind you the preacher thought he was hooking up with a grown man (Still wrong) but he is now in trouble yet Planned parenthood... You get the picture.
I mean the Preacher should have known better to begin with, he knew the Bible or should have. This story just goes to show you they are telling kids to go to Grindr and they are.
and another thing.
Why is Grindr not held responsible for this? They let a 15 year old on their adult site. How many other men was this kid hooking up with or having adult conversations with?
Where is Chris Hansen when you need him?
Whut?
It’s not just the pastor it’s Grindr as well.
Remember he met the kid on Grindr and he did not know the the kid was 15. The pastor was actually looking for an adult male. That makes him a sodomite really.
I was stating that Grindr should hold some blame in this. They let a 15 year old on their site. How many other men has that kid talked too? Think about it. We all know what goes on Grindr.
Seems you’re a sodomite as well.
They let a 15 year old on their site?
how do you stop them... ask for credit cards?
maybe a drivers license or other form of ID?
I know someone is going to accuse me of painting with a broad brush, but look at what happened at Penn State, in the Catholic Church, in the Boy Scouts, and many others. Men either abused boys or turned a blind eye to it. It was a woman who finally broke the story at Penn State, after all of the men who knew about it covered it up.
And we're not even talking about human trafficking, and all of the kidnapped women and girls who are drugged up and suffer permanent injuries down there, just so men including some of your fathers, sons, pastors, and the CEOs of the companies you patronize can have a warm wet spot to stick it in to.
At some point, men have got to look at all of this and decide they don't like what they see. I hope that happens soon, because I'm sick of reading about this.
You need only read the comments on threads when a female teacher is arrested for having sex with an underage student. Lots of posters don't see an issue with it.
I see comments like that as the product of upbringing - boys not being taught that moral behavior while not always attained should be strived for.
they’re called fake id...
make them pay, it’s the only way and hope those paying the bill will notice
That is true.
Something needs to be done. This man truly did not know the kid was 15. He is a sodomite yes but he was not on there looking for a child he was looking for an adult male. For some reason the courts hold him responsible when Grindr let the kid on there and the child’s parents were not monitoring his internet activities.
Also Like I said in comment one maybe this pastor should sue Planned Parenthood for encouraging kids to go onto Grindr?
when Grindr let the kid on there???
tell me how they knew he was a minor?
I've seen that, even here.
Yeah, a lot of men think it's fine, until those boys grow up to be the whipped police officers and judges who find any excuse to side with the women against them. Then they blame the "feminized system" for the bias they face.
When they were caught at the golf course it was found out but the pastor met the kid on Grindr.
So I’m begging the question “How did the kid get on Grindr?”. There needs to be more regulations or safeguards. We all know what Grindr is for and what goes on. People under the age of 18 need not be there. But you know I’m a PollyAnna for saying so.
I agree with what you both are saying but in this case this child should not have been on Grindr. We all know what Grindr is about. Grindr should be held accountable.
Grindr will not be held responsible. Too many politicians will defend it. It’s like asking Satan to restrain his demons.
The parents will have to sue Grindr
Agree 100%. Grindr does not adequate age verification in place.
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