Macon County authorities said a former youth pastor and school employee was arrested and charged with felony indecent liberties with a child.
Authorities said Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, officials with the Special Victims Unit of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an allegation of sexual misconduct. As a result of the investigation, authorities arrested and charged Evan Jordan Jensen, 30, with one felony count of indecent liberties with a child. His bond was at $20,000, secured.
During the course of the investigation, it was brought to the attention of detectives that Jensen was a former youth pastor in Macon County and a current employee of a school in Haywood County.
According to documents at the Macon County courthouse, the indecent liberties with a child charge against Jensen stemmed from an incident alleged to have happened Jan. 1, 2016.
It isn't clear what initiated the charge, but the charging document said Jensen unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did take and attempt to take immoral, improper and indecent liberties ... with a child under the age of 16 at the time ... and that Jensen was over 16 and at least five years older than that child.
"This happened quite some time ago. This was not recent. But, with that said, we definitely want to investigate in its entirety,” Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks said.
Holbrooks, who said the recent investigation was headed up by the special victim’s unit, would not comment on where the incident was said to have happened.
The First Alliance Church near Franklin confirmed Jensen was a youth pastor there but would not comment on whether he was there at the time of the alleged incident.
Haywood Christian Academy in Waynesville lists Jensen on its webpage as a middle and high school science educator. Head of School Kelli Herbert said Jensen no longer works for the school, and she's unaware of any student involvement with him.
"Whether it happened years ago or recent, I mean, this is appalling. But, like you said, all folks are innocent until proven guilty,” Holbrooks said.
Jensen is out on $20,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9.
This investigation is still ongoing, so no further information can be released at this time.