Winston Mayor Arrested

Jazmin Lund, Warrior Staff

On March 19th, the 71-year-old mayor of Winston, Oregon was arrested by Myrtle Creek Police for setting up a meeting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl who turned out to be a police officer.
Mr. Kenneth Lewis Barrett was proven to be exchanging Facebook messages with an account created to catch adults requesting intercourse with children.
“Barrett mentions in the online messages several times that he’s mayor of Winston, acknowledges the decoy is 14 and describes himself as ‘71 with the mind of a 17 year old and the energy of a 12 year old,’ according to a probable cause affidavit,” writes Everton Bailey Jr., a writer of the Oregonian.
Barrett faces allegations of second-degree online sexual corruption and unlawful possession of a firearm after investigators said he admitted to having a 9mm handgun without a concealed weapons permit in his pickup. (Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2017/03/oregon_mayor_accused_of_solici.html )
It all started when the girl – who is actually a police officer – posted a picture of herself on Facebook and Barrett commented, “Hot.” Throughout all the messages, Barrett sent her sexual-based messages and told the girl (the police officer) to write him sexually explicit poetry.
To get to the girl, Barrett and the girl (the police officer) made plans to meet Sunday at a Myrtle Creek home while the girl’s mother was working. He stated he would bring pizza. The time was 8 o’clock. Policemen set up camp in the dark at 7:30 and waited for Barrett to show up. The mayor didn’t show until 8:40. He sent the girl a message, “The bad boy is here.” When the police arrested him, they searched his vehicle. They found a firearm.
Barrett is faced with charges of online sexual corruption and unlawful possession of a firearm.