Chesapeake church elder charged in sex assault of teen

By Eric Kane
13NewsNow
January 10, 2016

http://www.13newsnow.com/story/news/crime/2016/01/07/church-elder-charged-sex-assault/78435372/

Police have charged Ellis with 9 felony sexual assaults against a minor.

The church where Ellis worked for ten years before being dismissed following his arrest. Photo by Eric Kane

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) -- Police have charged a Chesapeake church elder with sexually assaulting a teenage boy for more than a year.

Following a nearly month-long investigation, police arrested Jason N. Ellis, 40, on November 19.

He faces nine felony sexual assault charges in connection to multiple encounters he had with the teen dating back to 2014.

In some cases Ellis forced himself upon the boy, showed him pornography, asked for sex and touched him inappropriately, according to court documents.

Ellis served as an elder at the Deliverance Worship Center on South Military Highway in Chesapeake.He had been with the place of worship for a decade, according to Pastor Tammy Futrell.

Futrell said she and her husband Melvin, the church's founder, had no indication of Ellis' alleged wrongdoing. Ellis was dismissed after the church learned of his arrest, Futrell said.

The alleged abuse happened off church property.

13News Now is not revealing the relationship between Ellis and the teen to protect the victim's identity.

Ellis is free on bond.