Former pastor pleads guilty to sex charge

Sentencing Jan. 8 in federal court

By Lawrence Buser

The Commercial Appeal

Memphis, TN

October 5, 2007

A former pastor of First Baptist Church in Parsons, Tenn., who was indicted earlier this year for seeking to have sex with a minor entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Memphis.

Mark Woodson Mangrum, 47, of Decaturville, Tenn., will be sentenced Jan. 8 by U.S. Dist. Court Judge Jon McCalla.

Mangrum was indicted in February on federal charges of using a computer in an attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/oct/05/former-pastor-pleads-guilty-sex-charge/

Former pastor requests to change plea in federal case

By WENDY ISOM
wisom@jacksonsun.com

The Jackson Sun

Jackson, TN
October 2, 2007

A former Parsons pastor has requested to change his plea in connection with a federal charge that accuses him of using a computer to entice a 14-year-old boy to engage in a sexual act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Mark Woodson Mangrum, the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Parsons, faces a one-count indictment charging him with, "use of a facility and means of interstate commerce (computer) for the purpose of attempting to persuade and entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity," according to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court.

Mangrum, who resigned from his church in January, has formerly pleaded not guilty.

Mangrum is scheduled to appear before Judge Jon Phipps McCalla at 9 a.m. Friday at the Federal Building in Memphis to change his plea.

Mark Donahoe, Mangrum's attorney, confirmed in a Monday night phone interview that Mangrum has settled on a plea agreement.

"We have worked out an agreement. I'm not at liberty to discuss the agreement we hope to enter on Friday,"Donahoe said.

Mangrum had pastored First Baptist Church in Parsons for about six years before resigning. In an earlier interview with The Jackson Sun, Donahoe had said Mangrum resigned from his church duties because "he didn't want anyone in the church to be uncomfortable or for this situation to affect the church in any way until the final matter can be resolved."

-Wendy Isom, 425-9782

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/NEWS01/710020326

See also:

Lawyer says Southern Baptist pastor innocent of sex charges, 3/7/07

Ex-pastor one of six men indicted on child sex charges, 2/16/07

SNAP Note:  First Baptist Church in Parsons is shown as an SBC-affiliated church.