He told her to delete every message and photograph between them
In Red Bank, New Jersey, a pastor who held spiritual authority over a teenage girl allegedly used that trust as cover for years of sexual abuse, beginning when she was just fourteen years old. Enrique Molina, fifty, now faces thirteen criminal charges spanning the full arc of that betrayal — from assault to the deliberate erasure of evidence. His case joins a long and painful human reckoning with the misuse of sacred trust, and reminds us that institutions meant to shelter the vulnerable can, when corrupted, become the very source of harm.
- A teenage girl serving as a youth leader in her own church was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by her pastor for more than three years, beginning at age fourteen.
- Molina reportedly instructed the victim to delete all messages and photographs between them — a calculated effort to silence the record of what was happening.
- When confronted by investigators, Molina waived his right to silence and admitted to a relationship with the girl when she was fifteen, a disclosure that accelerated the formal charges against him.
- Thirteen criminal counts were filed on December 23, including aggravated sexual assault and multiple charges of endangering the welfare of a child, reflecting the scope and severity of the alleged conduct.
- Despite the weight of the charges, Molina was released from Monmouth County jail on December 29 under court-imposed conditions, leaving the community to sit with the tension between legal process and the gravity of the allegations.
- Three law enforcement agencies are now coordinating the investigation and are actively asking the public to come forward with any additional information about Molina's conduct.
Enrique Molina served as pastor at Iglesia Pentecostal Nuevo Remaneso on Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey. Among his congregation was a teenage girl who held a position of leadership in the church's youth ministry. According to court documents, Molina began sexually abusing her when she was fourteen years old, and the abuse continued for more than three years across multiple locations in Monmouth County — including Red Bank, Eatontown, a park in Neptune, and private homes in Ocean Township. Throughout that time, he allegedly directed her to delete every message and photograph they shared, methodically working to conceal what was happening.
When investigators eventually questioned him, Molina waived his right to remain silent and acknowledged having a relationship with the girl when she was fifteen. That admission did not spare him from the consequences that followed. On December 23, he was arrested and charged with thirteen criminal counts: two counts of aggravated sexual assault, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, three counts of sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of hindering apprehension, and three counts of criminal sexual contact.
At a detention hearing six days later, Molina was released from Monmouth County jail under court-imposed conditions — an outcome that highlighted the procedural tensions inherent in serious criminal cases. The prosecution is being led by Danielle Zanzuccki, an assistant prosecutor and director of Monmouth County's Special Victims Bureau. Three law enforcement agencies — Eatontown Police, Ocean Township Police, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office — are jointly investigating, and each has a detective available to receive tips from the public.
Enrique Molina was a pastor at Iglesia Pentecostal Nuevo Remaneso, a church on Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey. A teenage girl attended the same congregation as a youth leader. Seven years ago, when she was fourteen, Molina began a sexual relationship with her that would continue for more than three years. The abuse happened in multiple locations across Monmouth County—in Red Bank, Eatontown, inside his car at Sunshine Village Park in Neptune, and at homes in Ocean Township. Throughout this time, according to court documents, Molina instructed the girl to delete every message and photograph they exchanged, a deliberate effort to erase evidence of what was happening between them.
When investigators eventually questioned Molina about the allegations, he waived his right to remain silent. In that conversation, he acknowledged having a relationship with the girl when she was fifteen years old. The admission did not stop the charges from coming. On December 23, Molina was arrested and faced a staggering list of criminal counts: two counts of aggravated sexual assault, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, three counts of sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of hindering apprehension, and three counts of criminal sexual contact. He was taken to the Monmouth County jail.
Six days later, on December 29, Molina appeared for a detention hearing. The outcome surprised no one following the case closely: he was released from custody, though not without restrictions. The conditions of his release remain part of the court record, but the fact of his release underscored the complexity of how the criminal justice system handles such cases—the severity of the charges weighed against the presumption of innocence and the mechanics of bail.
The prosecution of this case fell to Danielle Zanzuccki, an assistant prosecutor in Monmouth County and director of the Special Victims Bureau, a unit specifically designed to handle crimes of this nature. Molina's attorney, Thomas Carver, based in Freehold, did not respond to requests for comment. The case now moves forward through the courts, with investigators still seeking information from anyone who may have knowledge of Molina's conduct. Three separate police departments—Eatontown, Ocean Township, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office—are coordinating the investigation, each with a detective assigned to the case and a phone number for the public to call with tips.
Notable Quotes
Molina acknowledged that he had a relationship with the girl when she was 15— Court affidavit, based on investigator questioning
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would someone in his position tell her to delete the messages? What was he protecting?
He was protecting himself. The messages were evidence. They showed the relationship existed, showed the pattern, showed his intent. Without them, it becomes harder to prove what happened and when.
But he admitted to investigators that he had a relationship with her when she was fifteen. Doesn't that confession matter more than the deleted messages?
It does, legally. But the messages would have shown the full scope—how it started, how it escalated, what he said to her. A confession to one year of contact is different from proof of three years of escalating abuse.
She was a youth leader. That means she had some standing in the church, some responsibility.
It means she was trusted. She was in a position where she should have been protected, not exploited. That's what makes the abuse of authority so damaging—it wasn't just a crime, it was a betrayal of her role in the community.
What happens to her now, while he's out on conditions?
She has victim services available to her. But she has to live in the same community, possibly see people who knew both of them. The case will move through the courts, and she'll likely have to testify. That's the long part—not just the crime, but the aftermath.