Wolf in Sheeps Clothing gets probation

Ex-pastor on probation in plea deal
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

EULESS -- A former Methodist pastor originally accused of public lewdness with an "immature" young man has been convicted of assault of a disabled person in a plea agreement with prosecutors.
James Leonard Finley, 69, pleaded no contest Thursday to the assault charge and was sentenced to two years' probation with deferred adjudication. He must attend sexual misconduct classes but will not have to register as a sex offender.
Finley, who had been senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Euless, was fined $1,380 and ordered to do 80 hours of community service.
"All parties were in agreement" about the plea, said Jeff Hampton, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney. "It was a fair result. He took responsibility."
Finley and his attorney, Bruce Ashworth of Fort Worth, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Finley was accused of molesting the 21-year-old man in December. Police later recorded him offering to perform additional sex acts on the victim.
Police, who described the man as "immature," said he lived with his mother and trusted the pastor.
Finley had originally been charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor. According to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, neither the misdemeanor assault conviction nor a public lewdness conviction would require him to register as a sex offender.
The only time a person must register as a sex offender for a misdemeanor is when he is convicted twice for indecent exposure, according to state criminal guidelines.
The misdemeanor assault conviction will be dropped from Finley's criminal record if he completes the terms of his probation. His arrest would remain on his record.
Finley relinquished his ministry credentials in December, days after he was arrested a few blocks from the victim's apartment in north Euless.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Finley was a member of the Euless Police Department citizens patrol and had been on the list of pastors called to help to console people involved in tragedies in the city.
Finley, a pastor at the church for four years, is married and has four adult children.
He met the victim in July 2005 at a Euless store where the man worked, police said.
On several occasions, Finley visited with the man when he was in the store, police said. At some point, Finley asked for the man's telephone number, according to police reports. The pastor later professed his love for the victim, police said.
In December, Finley went to the man's apartment, talked to him about sexual experiences and fondled him. The man pleaded for the pastor to stop, police said.
The man called police, who took him to the police station. While he was there, investigators asked him to call Finley and ask him what he had done. In a brief recorded conversation, Finley offered to perform sex acts on the man because he wanted to be the first, police said.
Police then drove the victim back to his Euless apartment. Within minutes, Finley returned to the apartment and tried to get in, police said. Finley was gone when officers arrived, but he was arrested a few blocks away, police said.

Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-685-3822 ramirez@star-telegram.com
source: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/15900285.htm