Everett pastor arrested in teen sex sting resigns
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - An Everett pastor arrested in a Seattle vice sting has resigned.
The lead pastor of Everett's First Baptist Church, Brian Harpell, said Thursday that associate pastor John K. Lawlor turned in his resignation. Harpell says the church is cooperating with the investigation and praying for all parties involved.
Seattle police arrested Lawlor Tuesday night after he responded to a phony ad placed by a detective. Lawlor allegedly agreed to pay $200 for sex with the 16-year-old.
The Daily Herald reports Lawlor was charged Thursday with commercial sex abuse of a minor. He was released from jail after posting bond on $50,000 bail. He'll be arraigned March 7.
The lead pastor of Everett's First Baptist Church, Brian Harpell, said Thursday that associate pastor John K. Lawlor turned in his resignation. Harpell says the church is cooperating with the investigation and praying for all parties involved.
Seattle police arrested Lawlor Tuesday night after he responded to a phony ad placed by a detective. Lawlor allegedly agreed to pay $200 for sex with the 16-year-old.
The Daily Herald reports Lawlor was charged Thursday with commercial sex abuse of a minor. He was released from jail after posting bond on $50,000 bail. He'll be arraigned March 7.
We all have a right to know. Say you were unaware and trusted your child with him and something happened, you would be angry that nobody informed you. These pastors that are doing such things, apparently don't believe in God because if they did, they would not do such. Hell and Heaven are real and anyone that knows the bible knows if you die in your sins, you will go to hell. So being a pastor, doing such things and knowing you could die any moment- you would fear your destination. Sit down and stop playing church, misguiding those that don't know the Lord, hindering those that say they might as well stay the way they are after seeing your mess.
SO how many Hail Mary's to get out of this one?.....
If this was someone I knew and he help me live a life with peace, faith, and whatever. I would be so ashamed that I learned from him, with the state attacking him about what he did. I don't understand why it is important for us to know about this pastor. I don't go to church there, he is not part of my life or my family life. Why is it so necessary to have this as news? This should be with the church, court, and whatever else he does throughout his days. The people that deal with him, are the ones who need to know. Not the whole state of Washington. To many people think its important to know everyone business. If people just focus on what is going on with them and their surroundings we will have a hell of a lot less negativity in this world. Â
People who use god as a way to abuse children and innocents have a very special place waiting for them in Hell.Â
There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the age of consent in our state. Some people think it is 18, others say 16 with exceptions. Â
Read this:Â http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America#Washington
Pay attention to the term "significant relationship" and read this: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.44.010
And then ask yourself if a priest would be considered, "A person who undertakes the responsibility, professionally or voluntarily, to provide education, health, welfare, or organized recreational activities principally for minors."
I think this guy clearly would have broken the law regardless of the payment. To me, a priest would fall under this category of "significant relationship."
Oh goody, now he'll have all kinds of free time to look for more minors to sexually exploit..... not that his job was holding  him back before. What a disgusting pig, and no surprise that he's a "man of god". What a joke.  I hope he's reading these comments.Â
ANOTHER PERVERTEDÂ PRIEST!!!!!!!!!
@Shelly He was a Pastor.Â
So the age of consent in Washington is 16 years of age, but if you pay money for the sex, there's a special "commercial sex abuse of a minor" charge? Â That's kind of confusing.
@UtterReality 16 years old is still a minor.Â
*facepalm* What's this? An ad for sex with a 16 year old? Must be totally legit! I'll call now!
Funny thing is that outside of being a direct stupidvisor, it's not actually illegal to have sex with a 16 year old. It is, however, illegal to pay for it regardless of age.
@mhungry Not exactly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America#Washington
Put John K. Lawlor in charge of the collection plate, with a bail bond receipt on the bottom.
What an easy "sting", should almost be entrapment. Ehh, with some rehabilitation he should be back to collecting those donation plates.Â
I don't believe this was the 1st time for this associate pastor having (or trying to have) sex with someone way too young for him  - 1st time busted likely but not his 1st time.
"Praying for all parties involved".... So stupid people can be.
@KeithBÂ Hey, but it feels good to say. When you realize that the people around you are just saying words in order to extract money and exert control you must feel pretty hollow. If you can make it all better by directing thought waves at an omnipotent super being, who are we to judge
@KeithBÂ This guy is going to need more than prayer, he's going to need a really good lawyer. And, so is his wife if he had one.
Hey KOMO, why don't you plaster his picture up here?Â
I'm not saying it was right, it was sick & immoral. However the only thing that made this illegal was him offering to pay the $200. If not for that it would have been perfectly legal as long as he didn't take pictures. There is something wrong with the laws in this state!
@4ShotLatteThe $200 just made it "easier" to bust him.
@Stock Woodie @4ShotLatte No, he was busted because of the $200. He should have just relied on his natural 54 year old suaveness and a chest wig to seduce the 16 year old, get her to consent to the sex and he would have been fine.
@Papio @Stock Woodie @4ShotLatte Yes. But they could have had long, drawn out interactions with him to bust him for a more serious charge (ie groom a minor for sex).
@4ShotLatte I believe stagetory rape laws in Washington are null after age 17 permitting the consenting person is within 48 months of the same age. This was a 16 year old and grown adult.. throw the key away and let him rott thats sick
@Northriver @4ShotLatte No. The age of consent is 16. Period. There are no stipulations. If you can find the RCW that proves me wrong, I will gladly revert my position though.
@Papio @Steven Naring @mhungry @Northriver @4ShotLatte I believe you are wrong, however I am not a lawyer. My rebuttal is that the person must be within 60 months of the "victim" if between ages 16 and 18. I believe that is why that sleez bag 16 year old had to marry the actor (sorry I forgot the name) from Washington, she also had to have permission from her parents (which would be the supervisory person) If found that the supervisory person is forcing the act they would be guilty in the first degree. I typed all this now I question myself... Either way he was arrested for agreeing to pay so I guess it doesn't matter. I still find it pretty gross that a grown man would agree to such a thing
@Steven Naring @mhungry @Northriver @4ShotLatte This does not apply to two persons with no school/supervisory/etc role. An 84 year old can have sex with a sixteen year old, if the sixteen year old so chooses. Read the whole RCW. There has to be a supervisory role for this to be triggered.
APOLOGIES FOR YOUR INCOMPREHENSION (Caps added).
@mhungry@Northriver@4ShotLatte Get ready to revert your position, mhungry! There are several stipulations, so you're dead wrong.
 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.44.093
"A person is guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree when: (a) The person has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with another person who is at least sixteen years old but less than eighteen years old and not married to the perpetrator, IF THE PERPETRATOR IS AT LEAST SIXTY MONTHS OLDER THAN THE VICTIM [caps added], is in a significant relationship to the victim, and abuses a supervisory position within that relationship in order to engage in or cause another person under the age of eighteen to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim; (b) the person is a school employee who has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with an enrolled student of the school who is at least sixteen years old and not more than twenty-one years old and not married to the employee, if the employee is at least sixty months older than the student; or (c) the person is a foster parent who has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with his or her foster child who is at least sixteen."
@4ShotLatte Dummy it is not legal for an adult under any circumstances to have sex with a minor
@AS400GURU@4ShotLatteIt is also illegal to engage in sexual acts with someone younger than 18 under three different sets of circumstances, enumerated in RCW 9A.44.096. Foster parents with their foster children; school teachers and school administration employees over their students; The third set of circumstances require all of the following situations occur in tandem: The older person is 60 months or more older than the 16- or 17-year-old, the person is in a significant relationship as defined by RCW 9A.44.010, and such older person abuses the relationship to have sexual contact.
He should have banged a horse (or foal in this perverts case) instead. I believe that's legal here, unless they finally fixed that after the whole Enumclaw "incident". gross!
@AS400GURU @4ShotLatte Not true. 16 is the age of consent in this state, other than direct supervisors, etc.
@AS400GURUÂ That depends entirely on the age of the "minor".
@AS400GURU @4ShotLatte In Washington State a 16 year old is free to have sex with whomever they choose. The act in question here was him paying for it. There's only possible problems when one of the parties is below 16.
@Papio @AS400GURU @4ShotLatte Dummy number 2
Straight from the book
RCW 9A.44.093
"(1) A person is guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree when the person has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with another person who is at least sixteen years old but less than eighteen years old and not married to the perpetrator, if the perpetrator is at least sixty months older than the victim, is in a significant relationship to the victim, and abuses a supervisory position within that relationship in order to engage in or cause another person under the age of eighteen to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim."
The Age of Consent in Washington is not 18. It is 16. The statute (shown above) that you are making reference to makes it a crime for a person 60-months or older than the younger person to have sexual intercoarse with the younger person if ALL of the following conditions exist:
@Papio@AS400GURU@4ShotLatteNot true. They're not quite free to have sex with "whomever they choose."
 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.44.093
"A person is guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree when: (a) The person has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with another person who is at least sixteen years old but less than eighteen years old and not married to the perpetrator, IF THE PERPETRATOR IS AT LEAST SIXTY MONTHS OLDER THAN THE VICTIM [caps added], is in a significant relationship to the victim, and abuses a supervisory position within that relationship in order to engage in or cause another person under the age of eighteen to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim; (b) the person is a school employee who has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with an enrolled student of the school who is at least sixteen years old and not more than twenty-one years old and not married to the employee, if the employee is at least sixty months older than the student; or (c) the person is a foster parent who has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with his or her foster child who is at least sixteen."
Classic.....
In an attempt to find the silver lining, we can be happy this was 'just a sting' operation. Â In this guys case there is no real victim, (this time) something I think we can all be thankful for. Â HIS troubles however are just beginning...
@K. Coleman I just try not to think about IF this was his first time doing this kind of thing.
I wonder what Sunday's sermon will be about at Everett's First Baptist?
@Windowseat I literally chortled and choked on my coffee. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this.
I guess I don't understand how people continue to trust other human beings, especially those in a leadership position. Its a dog eat dog world out there, trust nobody except yourself. Keep your religious beliefs but find the answers yourself. Don't let others define your reality. This is sick, it really is and to think this person portrayed themselves as an influential individual. He should be castrated and locked away and charged with attempted rape.. No bail
@Northriver  Its ORGANIZED religion that is the problem. For many generations, you needed someone who knew the scriptures, etc to lead since very few people were educated enough to read or study themselves and even very few documents existed (hand copied). In today's world, you have the Bible and you can most likely read and there are additionally study guides available.  Having read the bible and being able to understand what it says, I can truthfully say that not everything that is said from the pulpit is gospel.