A former Saskatoon youth pastor has been charged for attempted aggravated assault and luring a child online after a police officer, acting as a 15-year-old boy on a social media forum, agreed to meet the man for a sexual encounter.

Kris Allan Gowdy, who worked as a youth pastor at Lakeview Church, located in southeast Saskatoon near Highway 16 and Boychuck Drive, was arrested Thursday in Ontario during a police sting.

The 42-year-old, who was working as a youth pastor with the Free Methodist Church in Courtice, Ont., approximately 60 kilometers east of Toronto at the time, met with police at a prearranged location where he was subsequently taken into custody.

Police said Gowdy, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2009, had an extensive social media presence.

"The accused used the profile name: collegetoy2033 on social media sites," said Durham Regional Police in a press release.

Gowdy has also worked as a youth pastor in several communities over the last decade, including: Sussex, N.B., Rochester, N.Y., and Amherstview, Ont., said police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Randy Norton at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5363 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tipsters may be eligible for a crash reward of up to $2,000.

Members of Saskatoon's Lakeview Church did not want to comment.

fsuen@rawlco.com

Follow on Twitter: @fanyeesuen