Oregon mayor, 71, accused of soliciting sex with 14-year-old girl resigns

PORTLAND – The 71-year-old mayor of a southern Oregon town who was arrested and accused of setting up a meeting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl who was actually a police officer has resigned.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Kenneth Barrett resigned as mayor of Winston and deleted his Facebook account.

Court documents say Barrett spent two weeks exchanging Facebook messages with an online decoy created to target adults soliciting sex with children. A probable cause affidavit says Barrett mentions in messages that he’s the mayor of Winston and acknowledges the person he thinks he’s talking with is 14.

Police say he was arrested when he showed up to a designated meeting spot in Myrtle Creek Sunday.

Barrett faces charges of online sexual corruption and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He told the newspaper that he believes he’s a victim of entrapment.