Updated 04/06/2009 04:14 PM
Former pastor pleads not guilty to pornography charge
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. -- A former pastor from the North Country appeared in St. Lawrence County court to face child pornography charges.
Merton Parks was arrested back in October after the Federal Immigration and Customs Cyber Crimes Unit tracked purchases of child pornography to his computer. That computer was the one Parks used in
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his office at the First Baptist Church in the Town of Fine. Parks was pastor there for three years until he was forced to resign because of the investigation.
Parks waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of possessing the sexual performance of a child.
"The court has ordered a pre-plea investigation to be done by the probation department, which will allow us to have some idea what the sentencing recommendation may be without the necessity of pleading guilty up front," said Gary Miles, Parks’ attorney.
Parks will be back in court in May.