Cruz

The pastor of an Arlington church arrived in Denton for what he believed was a sexual liaison with a 15-year-old girl Thursday, police say, and found himself in an encounter with officers instead.

Leroy Ruedas Cruz, 50, was in Denton City Jail in lieu of a total $20,000 bail on charges of online solicitation of a minor with intent for sexual contact and online solicitation of a minor with a sexually explicit image sent with the intent to arouse.

Police documents show he is the pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Arlington. He could not be reached for comment.

Denton Detective Sgt. Scott Jenkins, who oversees detectives who work crimes against children, said a detective entered a chat room posing as the girl and waited to be contacted by someone.

Almost immediately, the officer received an instant message from Cruz asking the “girl” for age, sex and marital status information, Jenkins said.

The detective replied that he was a 15-year-old female, Jenkins said, and immediately received a message asking if he would like to view the messenger naked on his Web cam.

The officer replied that he would “take a peek” and Cruz turned on the Web camera, the sergeant said.

“And then he stood up and fondled himself,” according to the police report.

The man on the Internet then began talking explicitly about sex to the “girl” and asked her if she performed oral sex. After a brief conversation, Cruz asked if she would perform oral sex on him for $50, the sergeant said.

They talked online for about an hour during the lunch hour. They had never had any contact before that. They made an appointment at a park in Denton for 2 p.m.

Several officers waited at the park. They saw the man from the Web camera and took him into custody.

Cruz was using his home computer to make the contact, Jenkins said. Officers are obtaining a search warrant for the computer.

Terresa Province of Arlington, one of Cruz’s ex-wives, said she wasn’t entirely surprised by his arrest. She said they had an 11-year marriage, which ended in 2004.

“If he did it, he needs to get caught,” she said. “He needs to get help.”

She said the accusations that he tried to solicit sex from a teen makes her particularly upset. Cruz was always fond of children, Province said, and he went out of his way to talk to them and buy them candy.

“He was like a big kid himself,” Province said.

She said his small storefront church in a central Arlington strip shopping center would attract about 50 to 60 people to the Pentecostal-style services. After the divorce, the attendance dwindled, and the church left the Stoneridge Village shopping center, Province said.

It’s not clear what happened to the church then.

Neighboring tenants said he moved at least two years ago, and the space is now occupied by a pool hall and game room.

In the 20 months since Denton police initiated a part-time Internet sting program, they have arrested 41 men in similar situations.

The Dallas Morning News’ Jeff Mosier contributed to this report.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.