Deputies have arrested a 65-year-old Holiday man they say molested an 11-year-old boy in a Pasco County church parking lot.

Hueill Crawford "Derk" Denton lured the boy from a service at Calvary Baptist Church in Holiday, to his car with the promise of a gift, the arrest affidavit says.

According to investigators, Denton sat in his car and had the boy lean over his body to reach for the supposed gift on the passenger's side floorboard. The boy told investigators Denton grabbed him around the waist to hug him, then squeezed his buttock with his left hand.

The boy told investigators Denton kissed him on the forehead, right cheek and right ear and bit down gently on his right ear.

Detectives say they interviewed Denton at his home and Denton admitted to telling the boy he had a gift for him in his car, to hugging him and squeezing his buttock and kissing him on the cheek and ear.

They said he told them it was not meant to be sexual in nature and that he was just trying to show the child some love.

Denton was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 and luring or enticing a child.

Denton is the adult Sunday school teacher at the church. His wife Deborah used to work as a secretary there as well.

Deborah Denton ran from Bay News 9 cameras when a reporter asked questions about her husband.

"Both of these families and it doesn't just affect those 2 families, but the whole church, are suffering right now and we need your prayers," said Doug Kirk, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Holiday.

Deputies say Denton was convicted of lewd and lascivious molestation in 1990. However, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco says because laws were different, Denton was not required to register as a sex offender.

"This is a sick individual. This is absolutely a sick individual that we want to warn people about," said Nocco.

Pastor Kirk said the church didn't know about Denton's past and didn't run a background check.

"And this would probably not have been covered because it was 25 years ago," he said.

He said the congregation is shocked and saddened by the allegations.

"Evil has been in the world. It's going to come into the church. It's not the first time. Even Judas was among the disciples so it happens and then we go on and Christ can help us through this," said Kirk.

The Sheriff said Denton is being held without bond in the Pasco County Jail.