New Orleans Pastor Grant Storms: I Was Totally Jerking Off In My Van

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said today that anti-gay New Orleans Pastor Grant Storms admitted to them that he was masturbating in his van by that playground. But Storms says he wasn't actually watching any children, therefore the obscenity charge shouldn't stick.

Reverend Grant Storms was booked on Friday after his arrest at Lafreniere Park. Witnesses told investigators they saw the man fondling himself in his van while watching children on the playground. JPSO authorities said Storms admitted to the offense. He denies the charge and says no children were around. He plans to hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon to address the situation. He says that video footage should clear his name. Storms apologized and asked that people respect the privacy of his family. Storms said one woman saw him with his hand in his underwear, but nothing more. Storms is well known in the New Orleans area for orchestrating protests of the Southern Decadence Festival.

Southern Decadence organizer Chuck Robinson: "He's done everything through the years to disturb [the festival] and try to make it into something nasty that it's not. 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."

UPDATE: At his press conference today, Storms said that police reports of his confession are a lie. But wait, there's more.

He did, however, admit that he was looking at pornography on-line about an hour before he went to the park. He added that he struggles with an addiction to porn, and he asked pastors to help deal with his demons. Storms told members of the media he is no longer connected with the church that once staged the protests against Southern Decadence, now running a lawn care business. Weeping, he then went on to apologize to family and friends. He even apologized to those that he once railed against, including members of the gay community and organizers of Decadence Festival. Storms said he was taken aback by news that he had confessed to authorities that he had masturbated and exposed himself to children in the park, calling the allegation a "lie." "At no time did any children see me," said Storms. "I'm not a pedophile, I'm not a child molester."