Virginia youth pastor accused of trying to entice preteen girl in online sex sting

A Virginia youth pastor has been charged with trying to sexually entice an undercover police officer posing as a preteen girl.

Authorities said 30-year-old Deric Wallace Peacock engaged in sexually explicit conversation online with officers he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.

Peacock was arrested last week on five felony counts -- sexual solicitation of a minor by electronic means, requesting a minor to fondle her own sexual or genital parts, and three counts of exposing his sexual or genital parts to a minor – as part of an online sting.

He was held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail.

Peacock was first suspended and placed on administrative leave from his job as children, youth, and discipleship pastor at Church of God South Hopewell.

But the church’s pastor, Thurman Collier, said Peacock had since been dismissed from his job.

“There has been no indication what so ever, anything has happened here at the church,” Collier said.

The church website, which has since been taken down, showed Peacock had worked there since last year.

Peacock and his wife had been foster parents since 2008, the website showed.