Pastor Dean Tarkington pleads guilty in Lubbock federal court

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – Former Lubbock pastor Dean Richard Tarkington, 57, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of attempted possession of child pornography, according to the office of U.S. Attorney.

He had been pastor at Word of Faith Christian Center in the 7300 block of 82nd.

Official records say that for several years Tarkington had secretly engaged in sex chat and phone sex with young women and teenage girls on the Internet. He did so at home and using his church office. Official records say Tarkington made contact in November of 2009 with an undercover police officer who was posing as a 15-year-old girl. The two talked using a chat room called "married but looking."

According to prosecutors, Tarkington both sent and requested inappropriate pictures via the Internet. He will be sentenced at a later date to a possible maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine (or both), and a lifetime of supervised release.

Related: Pastor indicted on child pornography related charges

Tarkington was pastor of Word of Faith Christian Center in Lubbock Texas.

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