Chambers has been charged for attempting to meet with a teen boy for sex
Alan Chambers, a 54-year-old Winter Park executive and former leader of the Christian “ex-gay” ministry Exodus International, was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on charges related to soliciting a minor for sex. He allegedly used Snapchat to pursue what he believed was a 14-year-old boy, who was actually an undercover detective, sending messages expressing his desire to meet, kiss, and have sex with the teen — at one point asking the boy whether it was wrong that he wanted to be intimate with someone his age. The investigation began in February, and communications later moved to Telegram, where Chambers reportedly sent explicit messages and photos. He allegedly asked the boy to take an Uber to meet near his Park Avenue office on April 10. Chambers admitted to owning the account used in the exchanges, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional minor victims.
Chambers currently serves as an executive with John Craig Clothiers and is involved with the Park Avenue District in Winter Park. He faces charges of solicitation of a minor, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. A judge set his bond at $15,000 and barred him from contacting anyone under 18, using social media, or going online except for work purposes.
Chambers is widely known as a former president of Exodus International, an organization that promoted conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals and the so-called “pray the gay away” movement. He authored three books on his personal experience with sexuality and religion. In 2013, he publicly apologized for the harm caused by his involvement in the movement.
