Colorado Springs youth pastor gets probation for sending explicit images to teen

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The youth pastor who was originally charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a child took a plea deal for a lesser charge and will spend five years on probation.

According to court records, Stephen Houlihan sent messages on Instagram to a 15-year-old girl that included several sexually explicit photos. He also "repeatedly expressed a desire to have sex with her," according to an arrest affidavit.

Houlihan, who worked at Fellowship of the Rockies, reportedly sent her messages while he was in a church office and asked her to send him nude images of herself.

According to the arrest affidavit, Houlihan and the victim spent some at his house on her birthday, and they kissed twice. He eventually confessed to the contact and told investigators that he and the victim became close when she was having trouble at home.

The document also indicates that Houlihan was preparing to move to Texas for a new job and wanted to continue the relationship with the victim.

Houlihan was arrested in June, but many of the original charges were dropped. Houlihan ended up taking a deal to plead guilty to Obscenity, according to court records. He'll spend five years on intensive sex offender supervised probation.