Ex-Conversion Therapy Leader Alan Chambers Arrested in Florida Teen Sex Sting

Alan Manning Chambers, the former president of Exodus International and one of the most prominent faces of the Christian “ex-gay” movement, has been arrested on multiple felony charges after authorities say he spent months soliciting sex from someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Chambers, 54, was taken into custody during a traffic stop on May 19, 2026, in Winter Park, Florida. Investigators allege he engaged in explicit online conversations with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old boy named “Rory” over a four-month period beginning in February 2026.

The communications, which started on Snapchat and later moved to Telegram, reportedly included sexually suggestive messages, discussions of meeting in person to kiss and “make love,” and a photo of a male torso sent by Chambers. In one alleged exchange, Chambers reportedly asked, “Is it bad that I want to make love to someone who is 14?”

Chambers faces three third-degree felony charges: solicitation of a minor via computer, transmission of material harmful or obscene to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. He was released from Orange County Jail on $15,000 bond the following day, with strict conditions prohibiting contact with anyone under 18 and limiting his social media use.

A longtime figure in evangelical circles, Chambers led Exodus International — once the largest “ex-gay” organization in the world — which promoted conversion therapy and the idea that LGBTQ+ individuals could change their sexual orientation through faith and counseling. In 2013, he made national headlines when he publicly apologized to the LGBTQ+ community, admitted the programs were ineffective and harmful, and closed the organization’s main operations.

More recently, Chambers had been working in retail at John Craig Clothiers in Winter Park and serving as president of the Park Avenue District business association, a role from which he has now been suspended.

The Sheriff’s Office described the operation as a successful sting, stating they “stopped a predator before he had the chance to harm a child.” Authorities are seeking information on any potential additional victims.

Chambers has not yet entered a plea, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case remains under investigation and is expected to continue developing in the coming weeks.