An affidavit released this week provides new details in the case of a Prestonwood Baptist Church minister accused of arranging to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Joe Barron, 52, faces a charge of online solicitation of a minor after police say he drove from Plano to Bryan to have sex with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl he had met online, authorities say.  He was arrested Thursday and released from the Brazos County Jail the next day after posting $7,000 bail. Over the weekend, the church announced that Mr. Barron had resigned.

According to the affidavit, Mr. Barron contacted an undercover officer posing as a young girl through an internet chat room on May 6.  He used the profile name “joeb_49” and later changed it to “Joe B.”

During their first chat, the officer told Mr. Barron that she was a freshman in high school but a year younger than everyone else, the affidavit states.  He told her that he was 52 years old.

Later, Mr. Barron saw pictures of a real 13-year-old girl and told the officer that she was "developing nicely" and was "pretty," the affidavit states.  She later told him that her 14^th birthday was coming up.

Mr. Barron soon talked to the girl about meeting so they could have sex, saying he would wear a condom so she wouldn’t get pregnant, according to the affidavit.  He also told her that he would teach her how to have sex and that "he would be slow and gentle," the officer said in the affidavit.

The officer told Mr. Barron that she would skip school so they could meet in the morning May 15 at her apartment, the affidavit states.  The two continued to chat as Mr. Barron made the three-hour drive to Bryan.

Bryan police arrested Mr. Barron shortly after he arrived.  Inside the car, which Mr. Barron had borrowed from his wife, police found a box of 10 condoms, a Web camera and headset that authorities believe he was going to give the girl, police said.

Police have since seized computer equipment from his home and accessed his computer at the church.  Police said they were investigating evidence he had online conversations with more than a dozen girls.

Mr. Barron could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.

Online sexual predators are often adept at building up a sense of trust and confidence with their victims, according to David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

Dr. Finkelhor said it’s not enough for parents to warn children against revealing personal information online.  They must also talk to children about why romantic and sexual relationships with older people are inappropriate.

He also said religious organizations must do careful screening on personnel and ensure there are child protection mechanisms in place.

“There are some people who gravitate toward more conservative religious doctrine in efforts to help control deviant interests that they have in themselves and have a hard time with,” Dr. Finkelhor said.  “They are looking for help in reigning in these things.”

Mr. Barron served from 2000 to 2003 as senior pastor at Northrich Baptist Church in Richardson, and before that was adult education pastor at First Baptist Church of Lewisville for 10 months, according to those churches.

Mr. Barron had worked at Prestonwood for about 18 months as a minister to married adults, ages 42 to 58.

Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham told his congregation Saturday evening that Mr. Barron had resigned from the church. 

If convicted, Mr. Barron could face up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the second-degree felony.