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A 68-year-old minister at a Fillmore church has pleaded guilty to two felony counts related to inappropriate online communication with a minor.
Barry Don Fike of Fillmore admitted to sending harmful material to a child and arranging to meet with a minor for sex, according to a release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Barry Done Fike, 68, of Fillmore, shown in this mugshot provided by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Fike, who officials say worked as a minister at the Fillmore Church of Christ and previously taught at both Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village and Pepperdine University, was involved in an online relationship with a person whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl but was in fact an undercover officer.
He was arrested on July 17, 2023, a week after he began communicating with the undercover officer. During those conversations, which were “sexual in nature,” Fike sent explicit photos of himself and attempted to arrange a meetup with the underage girl.
The chatroom where the communication occurred did not have any safeguards to verify a person’s age, and Deputy District Attorney Ben Moreno said the case was a “powerful reminder” for parents to stay vigilant and protect their children by keeping tabs on what they’re doing online.
“The defendant was a minister and teacher, showing that no one is above suspicion and trust should not be given lightly when it comes to our children,” Moreno said.
Fike is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15 in Ventura County Superior Court.