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"Ex-Gay" Therapist Caught Looking for Gay Sex on Hookup Apps

A former patient noticed his profile and alerted an LGBTQ organization, who outed him.

A so-called "ex-gay" conversion therapy practitioner has allegedly been busted for looking for gay sex on apps Manhunt and Bear Nation.

According to the LGBTQ non-profit organization Truth Wins Out, Norman Goldwasser, an Orthodox Jewish therapist at Horizon Psychological Services in Florida, was on the apps using the pseudonym "Dave" and the username “hotnhairy" and "hotnhairy72."

Goldwasser has sent patients to the Journey into Manhood (JIM) program, according to Truth Wins Out, where men are taken into the woods to participate in what are considered manly activities in order to change their same-sex attraction. According to a man who went undercover in the ex-gay movement, that includes cuddling with male guides, who may or may not have erections.

He also co-wrote a paper with another well known conversion therapy personality, David Matheson, called “Holistic Therapy: A Comprehensive, Clinical Approach to the Treatment of SSA.

In it, the authors argue there is a connection between homosexuality and obsessive compulsive disorder, and push the debunked theory that one's sexual orientation can be changed.

Wayne Besen, the founder and executive director of Truth Wins Out, told NBC the group was alerted to Goldwasser's alleged profile by someone claiming to be one of his former patients. Besen set up a profile of his own, pretending to be someone named "Brandon," and scheduled a meet-up with Goldwasser. He then revealed his true identity and confronted the licensed therapist about his hypocrisy.

“I promptly texted the Manhunt screenshot,” Besen said. “He then called me and confessed, begging for mercy.”

"The fact that this story and others have been brought to the public is incredibly painful but will become a catalyst for me seeking the right help for myself," Goldwasser said in an email sent to NBC on Tuesday.

"It is sad that despite the fact that I have been able to help many people over the years who have suffered from the effects of child sexual abuse and sexual addiction, I obviously was unable to help myself. There is no justification for my personal behavior and I deeply regret the pain I have caused people in my personal life."

While there is no federal ban on conversion therapy, more states have begun enacting legislation to protect minors from the practice. Currently, 14 states have banned it: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. So too has Washington, D.C.

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