US Christian fundamentalist Rev. Grant Storms, a well-known anti-gay protestor has been convicted on one count of committing an obscenity following his arrest last year for masturbating in a public park by a children’s playground.

Judge Ross LaDart of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Storms to three years probation and for him to be evaluated for psychological problems. He noted that in the pastor’s own confession he admitted that it was the third time he had masturbated in Lafreniere Park in a week.

“Lafreniere Park is a public place”, said the judge. “Lafreniere Park is a place that was chosen by this defendant to engage in a history of masturbation.”

In a confession, Storms, told a local law enforcement officer that he had taken a break from his grass cutting business to sip a beer in the park, and then became “horny”. He claimed, although he was masturbating, he never exposed his penis.

“Why do you go to the park and do this, as far as masturbating?”, Storms was asked by a local sheriff after his arrest.

“I don’t know”, Storms responded “I guess a thrill.”

“So it’s a thrill-slash-fantasy for you?”, he was asked, “Yes”, Storms replied.

Although the incidents took place by a children’s playground, officers found no evidence that Storms is a paedophile.

PinkNews.co.uk reported on his arrest last year for obscenity at Lafreniere Park, New Orleans.

Storms is a well known anti-gay protester at the Southern Decadence event. At the time of his arrest, the event’s organiser, Chuck Robinson, told the Times-Picayune: “He’s done everything through the years to disturb [the festival] and try to make it into something nasty.

“If the Rev. Storms is caught doing that in our city, it is ludicrous and heinous that he would have the nerve to complain about any kind of sexuality.”

According to the Advocate, Storms has orchestrated counter events for Southern Decadence in the past, and in 2004, filed a lawsuit against gay rights group Action Wisconsin for defamation, but the suit was thrown out of court.

He has also been an advocate for cleaning up the French Quarter, and has gone as far as filming sexual acts that took place during Southern Decadence, and screening his videos to lawmakers as a way to coerce them to stop allowing the annual festival from taking place.