Courtesy photos / Paige A. Blakely, 61, shown in handcuffs in the larger photo by Holly Hill police, and in an earlier inset photo when he was a Catholic priest at St. Ann's Church in DeBary, was among half a dozen men charged in a gay sex sting Thursday in a park restroom.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
HOLLY HILL, Fla. -- A 61-year-old former pastor and retired Catholic priest who lives in New Smyrna Beach, is among a group of men rounded up in a sting alleging gay sex in a restroom at Ross Point Park in Holly, police said.
Blakely, a former pastor at St. Ann's Catholic Church in DeBary, exposed himself to an undercover cop and allegedly told him he was "trying to experience what it was like," and that was trying to get a "thrill" at the same time, police said. He also made a reference to "cruising," a term men use when looking for gay sex, according to his charging affidavit.
Blakely was issued a summons charging him with exposure of sexual organs. However, Blakely was subsequently released from police custody without transport to the Volusia County Branch Jail where he would have had to post bail. He and the other five men were issued trespass warnings not to return to the park. NSBNews.net has been unable to reach him for comment.
The Diocese of Orlando released a statement stating Blakely had contacted Bishop John Noonan and informed him that he had "received a summons from the Holly Hill Police Department for a misdemeanor allegation regarding indecent exposure." The diocese said the bishop barred Blakely from acting or functioning as a priest, pending the legal outcome of the criminal case against him.
The Diocese of Orlando released a statement stating Blakely had contacted Bishop John Noonan and informed him that he had "received a summons from the Holly Hill Police Department for a misdemeanor allegation regarding indecent exposure." The diocese said the bishop barred Blakely from acting or functioning as a priest, pending the legal outcome of the criminal case against him.
The other five men arrested in the Holly Hill sting include:
David Louis Mecco, 80, of Daytona Beach, exposure of sexual organs;
Bernard Henry Cowart, 52, of Holly Hill, exposure of sexual organs and resisting arrest without violence;
Terry Allen Stamps, 50, of Daytona Beach, unnatural and lascivious acts;
Eric Dreisbach, 50, of Ormond Beach, unnatural and lascivious acts;
Don Allen Cupit, 50, listed as homeless, unnatural, and lascivious acts.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.