Naples man facing Net sex charge

Health worker being held in Palm Beach County Jail

A Naples mental health worker is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail on a charge of using the Internet to solicit a teen-age boy for sex.

Police arrested Peter Messires, 51, of 292 Belina Drive, on Saturday night in Boynton Beach after the 15-year-old boy turned out to be an undercover officer.

Messires’ bail has been set at $4,500. He faces up to five years in prison if he is convicted as charged.

Messires was suspended without pay from his job as a behavior technician with the David Lawrence Center, a mental health counseling and treatment facility, said Diane Allenbaugh, human resources director.

She said Messires faces being fired after the center receives the police paperwork on the case.

Allenbaugh said Messires passed the center’s extensive employee screening process that checks for any past criminal charges, including crimes against children.

She refused comment on whether he came in contact with children through his job and how long he has worked for the David Lawrence Center.

On his jail booking sheet, Messires listed his occupation as a priest, but did not name a church that he is affiliated with.

On his employment application, Messires mentioned he was affiliated with the Orthodox Church, Allenbaugh said.

The Orthodox Church’s regional office in Atlanta, which oversees its churches in Southwest Florida, did not return phone calls for comment.

According to police, Messires’ troubles began July 25.

Detective Toby Athol said he was working undercover on the Internet posing as a 15-year-old boy and was contacted by a man who turned out to be Messires.

“The conversation soon turned to sex and he described several sexual activities he would like to indulge in with me as his partner,” Athol said in his report.

Athol said Messires arranged a rendezvous with him in Boynton Beach on Saturday.

“Messires showed up at the predetermined location and in the car he told me he drove, a black Chrysler 300M, and was arrested,” Athol said in his report.