Pastor Behind “Gay Cure” Ministry Arrested in Sting After Attempt to Meet Alleged 14‑Year‑Old

An Orlando-area pastor who once led a ministry promoting so-called “gay conversion” therapy was arrested on May 18 after allegedly trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he believed to be a 14‑year‑old boy, authorities said.

Alan Chambers, 54, a married father of two who previously headed a ministry aimed at “curing” men of same‑sex attraction, was taken into custody following an undercover operation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the agency said in a statement. Detectives posing as a teenager on Snapchat and Telegram say Chambers exchanged explicit messages and attempted to set up an in‑person meeting.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by local media, the messages — sent between February and May — included photographs of a man’s torso and genitals and an image of Chambers’s face. In the chats, Chambers repeatedly expressed sexual interest, wrote about “forbidden love” and asked whether it was “bad” that he wanted to be intimate with someone who was 14, investigators say. He reportedly offered to take an Uber to his workplace to meet the purported teen.

The affidavit also alleges Chambers solicited sexual services from male prostitutes in separate communications. He was stopped by officers during a traffic stop and, when questioned, admitted communicating with one person on Snapchat who he believed to be 14, the sheriff’s office said.

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Chambers, who lives with his wife and two children in Winter Park, was booked on multiple charges including solicitation of a minor via computer, transmission of material harmful to minors, and unlawful use of a two‑way communication device. He posted $15,000 bond and was released with conditions prohibiting contact with anyone under 18, barring social media use, and restricting online access to work‑related purposes only.

The arrest raises difficult questions about a leader who publicly promoted therapies widely condemned by medical and mental‑health organisations. Critics say conversion practices are harmful and discredited; advocates and survivors have long sought accountability from ministers and groups that promote them.

Attempts to reach Chambers, his legal representative, and the ministry he once led were unsuccessful at press time. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office declined to provide additional details beyond the arrest affidavit. Court records list a preliminary hearing; prosecutors have not yet filed further public statements.