Mount Joy church pastor arrested Tuesday after attempting to meet juvenile for sex: police

The pastor of a Mount Joy church sent a nude image of himself to an undercover police officer, believing he was communicating with an underage girl who he attempted to meet for sex, according to Lancaster city police.

Anthony R. Morales, 33, of Warwick Township, was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse, child pornography, two counts of disseminating explicit sexual materials to a minor, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility.

Morales, who is listed as the lead pastor at Miracle Center Fellowship Church in Mount Joy, exchanged nude photographs with a 17-year-old girl through texts and social media for a period of about two weeks in May, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Morales sent the girl naked images of himself and later discussed meeting her for a sexual encounter.

The girl approached police in early June, telling investigators that Morales was aware she was underage.

An undercover police officer took control of the girl’s phone on June 14, continuing to communicate with Morales while posing as the girl, police said. Morales continued to send naked pictures of himself to the undercover officer, believing he was still communicating with the girl, and requested nude images of her.

Morales discussed meeting the girl for sex in a phone conversation with her on June 15 that was monitored by police, according to the affidavit. Morales expressed a concern during the call that “condoms break” and that he did not want to get the girl pregnant.

Morales then agreed to meet the girl at an East Hempfield Township drugstore that night where he would take her to another location for sex, despite the girl explicitly telling him that she was 17 during the phone call, police said.

Morales arrived at the drugstore in the 600 block of Centerville Road just before 3:40 p.m., driving around the parking lot several times before parking in front of a nearby grocery store were he was arrested, according to the affidavit.

Attempts to reach Miracle Center Fellowship Church for comment were not immediately successful. Morales' webpage on the church's website appeared to have been removed Wednesday afternoon and was replaced with placeholder text. The church also removed its Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon.

Morales was released from Lancaster County Prison after posting 10% of a $250,000 bond on Wednesday, court records show. He will face a preliminary hearing before Judge Bruce Roth on June 22.

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