Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steve Sword put his personal doubts aside Tuesday and gave a disgraced former youth minister who pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for sex the chance to clear his criminal record.

Jason Evan Kennedy was sentenced to 30 days in jail and six years of supervised probation, with eligibility for judicial diversion.

If he successfully completes that probationary term, he will have the opportunity to erase the felony conviction for solicitation of a minor for commercial sex from his record, and have his name removed from the state's sexual offender registry.

Judge is 'greatly concerned' Kennedy is 'fooling himself'

"I'm just greatly concerned that he's fooling himself, which is bad, or he's trying to fool others, which is dangerous," Sword said after Kennedy's tearful apology to the court.

The 48-year-old father of three was fired from his job as a children's minister at Grace Baptist Church in Powell after being caught in an undercover sex sting by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents at a North Knoxville hotel in May 2016.

Zubin Parakh, 34, who served as a layman pastor with LifeHouse Church in Oak Ridge, also was arrested during the same sweep on a charge of soliciting a minor. He is set to appear in court Sept. 28.

Kennedy's attorney, Gregory P. Isaacs, argued his client already has suffered considerable punishment, losing his family and his ministry amid the publicity of his arrest.

Isaacs said Kennedy, who now lives in Alabama, is receiving counseling and hopes to eventually use his experience to minister to others with similar problems.

Lawyer makes the case for diversion

"If anyone can help someone who falls astray, or has a sexual addiction, it's Mr. Kennedy," Isaacs said in making his case for judicial diversion.

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Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Sarah Keith, however, countered with the details of Kennedy's psychosexual evaluation.

The report includes his confession that he had visited prostitutes at least 16 times over the 12 months before his arrest, and his statement that he pleaded guilty in a bid for a reduced sentence.

Churches, or other potential future employers who were to conduct a background check, should have the ability to learn about Kennedy's past, Keith argued.

"It's just alarming to the state to think this isn't something that will stay on his record to protect the public," she said.

Sword said he has served as an adviser through his own church in situations involving troubled clergy members.He's come to recognize the truly remorseful, who will benefit from the support services a church can offer, he said.

Judge advises no more ministry

"I think I've gotten pretty good at it," the judge said. "And I know the ones, too, who are going to go to another church and prey on others."

Yet Sword acknowledged Kennedy's qualification for judicial diversion as a first-time offender, granting the request along with the maximum of six years' supervised probation instead of the four years Kennedy had requested.

Beyond that, Sword told him, "I don't think you should be involved in any type of ministry at all."