By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 3, 2026 at 5:20 AM
In a recent development, a Tuscaloosa pastor and retired business school instructor at the University of Alabama, James Gorman Houston III, has been charged with electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a minor for a sex act. The arrest followed an undercover operation by the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, which revealed Houston’s involvement in a troubling series of events.
According to a deposition obtained by Patch, Houston engaged with a profile on an online dating app, operated by an undercover officer posing as a minor under the age of sixteen. Upon being informed of the minor’s age, Houston allegedly responded with sexually explicit language, expressing a desire to “teach” and “help” the minor become “confident in knowing what you want.” The conversation reportedly included discussions of various sex acts.
The following day, arrangements were made for Houston to meet at an undisclosed location in Tuscaloosa County. Upon arrival, Houston exited his vehicle and approached an undercover law enforcement officer, whom he believed to be the minor. After being taken into custody, Houston was read his Miranda rights and acknowledged his actions.
Houston, originally from Eufaula, served as a pastor at First United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa from 2012 to 2019 and was a senior instructor of management at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business for 12 years. He is the son of the late Alabama Supreme Court Justice Gorman Houston Jr. Despite being awarded the Capstone Heroes Award by the University of Alabama for the 2015-2016 academic year, his name has since been removed from the list of recipients on the UA website.
Houston’s professional history includes serving as the coordinator of UA Interfaith in the UA Dean of Students Office for eight and a half years and founding the Pure and Simple Lifestyle Christianity ministry. After retiring from the University of Alabama in 2022, he reportedly began working as a private LSAT instructor.
This case underscores the importance of accountability and justice within institutions of faith and education, echoing the biblical call to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). As the community grapples with these allegations, it is crucial to uphold the principles of truth and care for victims, ensuring that justice is served while maintaining the dignity of all involved.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
