Jonathan Ryan Ensey, a worship leader at the Living Way Church, was recently convicted to 12 years imprisonment. Judge John Delaney reportedly found Ensey guilty of indecency with a child and online solicitation of a minor.

The counsels for prosecution and defense agreed on a bench trial instead of a jury trial.

Case Against Jonathan Ryan Ensey

The 37-year-old is not only the worship leader of the church, he is also the son of Pastor Randy Ensey.

Evidence suggests that the younger Ensey had already done acts of a sexual nature to the minor back in 2019. He also sent the child multiple nude photos of himself and explicit messages. 

The report indicated that Ensey also conveyed the message that he wanted to hurt the child. He even asked the child to send him explicit videos of herself on different occasions.

The father, also an attendee of the church, allegedly found the messages between Ensey and the minor from her phone and Instagram account.

According to the reports, Ensey had two counts of sexual contact with the minor.

Danielle Madera, a licensed psychologist, was the expert witness at the trial. According to her, the acts of Ensey were a "textbook case" of the sexual grooming of a child. She added that Ensey used his position and influence for the abuse.

In his statement, District Attorney Chris Seufert said that Ensey used the girl's religious upbringing to his advantage. He added that a church should be a safe place and not where predatory target children.

Apparently, the worship leader has befriended and flirted with the victim for two years.

The report also noted that the suspect's father, Pastor Ensey, pressured the girl and her family to "have mercy" on his predatory son. When asked if the victim was in no way at fault, the pastor refused to agree.

The pastor is yet to comment on the matter.

On Feb. 3, 2020, a petition for a divorce between Jonathan Ryan Ensey and Molly Deanna Ensey was filed in Montgomery Country, Texas.

CW39 Houston also reported on the case.  

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon commented his disappointment for the victim-blaming against the minor. 

According to him, "the defendant's father, a man who is supposed to be a leader in this community, would not say it, but I will: none of this is the victim's fault in any way, shape, or form." 

He furthered that Ensey is solely at fault and that it would be shameful for anyone to declare otherwise.

Living Way Church

Living Way Church is in Conroe, Texas. According to its Facebook page, the church is "apostolic in message and pentecostal by experience." It also says that the church is family-oriented and believes in the Bible, God, and Christian living. 

Reverends Randy Ensey and Dovey Ensey founded the church back in 1991. The pastor has a track record of ministry in Texas of 35 years.

Associate Pastor J.R. Ensey has been with the church since 2016, and he is the president of Advance Ministries.

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