At first, the pastor looked surprised when a man slid into the front seat of his white Yukon SUV, parked in a lot at a park just outside of Los Angeles. The pastor had arranged to meet up with someone who claimed online that he was only 16 years old.
“Can we have an easy conversation about this, bro?” asked the stranger with a cell phone that was clearly recording the pastor. The two men bantered barely three minutes when the stranger suddenly leapt out of the passenger seat as a police officer walked up to the driver’s window.
“Big Bad Wolf”— a content creator who targets online predators — had struck again.
This time, the target was James Stockton, the senior pastor of South Bay Church of God in Torrance, California, who was arrested last Friday a half hour away in Signal Hill. Local police charged him with meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, according to court records.
Big Bad Wolf, a member of an online group called “Caught Fished,” led the sting operation that led to Stockton’s arrest.
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After posing online as a 16-year-old boy, the creator posted a YouTube video of what happened when he showed up to meet with Stockton. He also filmed Stockton’s arrest by police he had previously notified.
In the video posted online, he asked Stockton why he showed up for the meeting, and Stockton replies, “Actually, I was hoping and praying that it was somebody older.”
Stockton’s reply is followed by a clip of someone saying in a classroom, “Do I look stupid to you?” — a technique the creator uses repeatedly throughout the 31-minute arrest video.
Stockton, 54, unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House in 2024. He also was a former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) leader.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, according to court records.
A spokesperson for South Bay Church told The Roys Report (TRR) that Stockton has been terminated from his role.
“We don’t know any more than everybody else that saw the video online, and we are as shocked, if not more,” the spokesperson said.
Stockton was released from jail Dec. 2 on his own recognizance and is due back in court Dec. 12, according to court records.
Stockton supposedly knew he was messaging a teen
Antoine, another member of the group “Caught Fished” told FOX 11 Los Angeles that the group chats with adults they believe are communicating with minors for sexual purposes.
Stockton “very well knew” that he was messaging someone who claimed to be 16, Antoine told the publication.
Antoine shared alleged messages between Stockton and the decoy. In one of the supposed messages, Stockton sends a selfie and asks, “What time you get out of school today?”
In another, he reportedly writes, “I promise to be gentle and make sure you are enjoying it.”
Antoine then told FOX 11 that Stockton’s messages became graphic.
“He got into the nasty part that no pastor should be talking about,” Antoine said. “These are the ones that we trust, and we should be able to trust him with our kids.”
Stockton’s long career as a pastor
Prior to leading South Bay, Stockton worked as the pastor of Greater New Hope Church in Ocala, Florida, and as the senior pastor at New Destiny Cathedral in Charleston, West Virginia. He also worked as the director of student and special programs at West Virginia State University, according to his Facebook account.
He is a native of Columbus, Ohio, according to his biography on Ballotpedia.
In 2024, Stockton ran for Congress as a Democrat to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District, but was defeated by Rep. Randy Fine, who currently holds the office.
South Bay is part of the Church of God based in Anderson, Indiana, according to the church’s website.
Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.
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14 Responses
Could be well argued that churches now need to include in all pastoral ministry job descriptions : ‘Goes to parks and quite locations on a regular basis to read & refect on scripture and offer humble prayers of confession, thanks, grace & wisdom for the day ahead.
The days of, “that goes without saying” have sadly come to an end. 🤔
Great video… Thanks for exposing all the corruption in the church… This is not a “one off” example as we all sadly know!
@28:57 in the video – Hilarious text from Pastor Predator:
“Grown men always have things to do. Wish I did have days that I had nothing else to do.”
Lookin like that dude’s wish gonna come true real soon..
Thanks Liz for putting together this fine piece of entertainment for us victim advocates who seldom see justice happen.
Who and where are we going be able to trust any pastor and I am thankful for God bringing light on darkness of the churches of these pastors and grateful for Roys Report.
One of the saddest parts is that nobody in his church has an iota of discernment.
How can they claim to have discernment???
I don’t know the church but I will say that every person I have met who has discernment (and there haven’t been too many) is walking in holiness.
The two are connected.
Especially when “discernment” has been redefined into what Screwtape called its “diabolical meaning”.
Instead of “seeing beneath the surface appearance” it now means”Seeing DEMONS! and WITCHES! under every bed, in every closet, and on that sweater you bought at Goodwill.”
And when the escorts are off depth-charging the decoys, the real torpedoes bore into the convoy from the other side.
What a foul and disgusting video. Obviously the Pastor has trouble bigger than his body but not sure the video was necessary. Do “men of God” think they can do anything and have it be acceptable to their flock?
Did anyone from TRR watch this video before they embedded it?
We always link to our sources per the guidelines established by the Society of Professional Journalists. If someone doesn’t wish to see the video, all they need to do is avoid clicking on the link.
That look on your face when you THOUGHT you were going violate a 16 year old but the law showed up instead.
Thing about it is that I would have turned around and exited that church as soon as I saw the size of this guy. Anybody that fat raises serious red flags for me. God says that our God can be our belly. If you enjoy food that much , then you are not fasting, reading the Bible, praying and seeking God’s face for your congregation.
You spend way too much time enamored and engaging with food.
I have never failed to use my real name or to be respectful when commenting on TRR.
However, numerous times now when I have pushed back on some aspect of TRR’s reporting my comments do not appear.
For instance, I made a brief comment on this article questioning the wisdom of embedding the video. It contained numerous obscenities. It was also inflammatory and theatrical.
My comment has not appeared.
The video is now missing because of something on YouTube’s end.
Nevertheless, if TRR doesn’t publish comments that are respectful pushback than that is a strike against integrity and accountability.
I would like TRR to be as successful as possible in their mission. Receiving pushback from commenters will help in that regard.
*There is no need to publish this comment, by the way. I’d just like someone to read it.
Sorry, we’re behind in approving comments. That’s all.
Thank you for the response.
And thank you for your response above to my other comment. Your rationale for embedding the video -industry guidelines – seems reasonable.
Nevertheless,I have general reservations about giving these “predator hunter” videos publicity or attention. I commend any effort to stop or catch sexual predators, of course.
But the theatrical vigilantism bothers me. Unaccountable vigilantism. In my country – Canada – an autistic guy was hounded until he committed suicide by one these guys.
https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/1156-to-catch-a-creep-catcher/