EVERETT — A former associate pastor from Everett will be jailed for three months and must attend “john school” after pleading guilty to a felony following his February arrest in Seattle for trying to pay a 16-year-old girl for sex.
John K. Lawlor, 55, last month pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced Sept. 27. He’d earlier been charged in King County Superior Court with the more serious offense of commercial sex abuse of a minor.
Under an agreement reached with King County prosecutors, Lawlor admitted that he intended to assault a 16-year-old girl, who in reality was an undercover Seattle police detective.
After seeing an internet ad, Lawlor made online arrangements to meet the girl for sex. When he showed up near Northgate, he was arrested by Seattle police who had placed the ad as part of a sting targeting patrons of sex traffickers.
After his arrest Lawlor resigned from his position at First Baptist Church in Everett.
In addition to his jail time and mandatory attendance at classes aimed to dissuade people from patronizing prostitutes, Lawlor must pay $5,000 in court costs. He’s also prohibited from visiting online sites that feature escort services or advertise sex for money.
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