Erath County grand jury indicts former Bluff Dale youth pastor for online solicitation of a minor
Updated: Aug 17, 2021
A former Bluff Dale resident has been indicted by an Erath County grand jury for online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14.
Ryan Ivy, 43, was a youth pastor at Bluff Dale Baptist Church and employee of Bluff Dale ISD when he allegedly sent inappropriate messages to a 13-year-old middle school student.
According to Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash’s official complaint released to Beneath the Surface News, Ivy engaged in explicit conversations on Instagram with the minor in July 2020.
The conversations are too explicit to share, but include overt sexual overtures and graphic language.
Investigators were able to retrieve the conversation by doing a forensic examination of electronic devices.
The complaint also states that Ivy confessed to the church’s pastor that he had “inappropriate” conversations with the victim, but was still allowed to keep his job as youth pastor.
After a similar admission to Bluff Dale ISD superintendent John Taylor, Ivy resigned his position with the school district.
Ivy has reportedly hired Hood County attorney Rob Christian to represent him.
He is expected to be arraigned on Aug. 18.
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