Key Takeaways
- Isaias Escobar, 22, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child following an investigation by the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office.
- The alleged victim, a 16-year-old girl, reportedly attended a Grace Woodlands youth event with Escobar and his family before the alleged assault.
- The church said that Escobar entered a pastor training program in 2025 but said he was not an employee and did not hold an official position at the church. The alleged victim’s mother described him as a youth and worship leader.
Isaias Escobar, a 22-year-old Texas man enrolled in a training program through Grace Church in The Woodlands, Texas, has been arrested and charged with with sexual assault of a child following an alleged assault involving a 16-year-old girl.
San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office Announces Isaias Escobar’s Arrest
The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office announced Escobar’s arrest on September 29, 2026, following an investigation by its Criminal Investigation Division.
They stated that he had been taken into custody and booked into the San Jacinto County Jail on the sexual assault charge.
“Due to the nature of this investigation and in order to protect the identity and privacy of the child involved, no additional information regarding the victim will be released,” authorities said.
They encouraged anyone with information about criminal activity to contact Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867, or submit a tip online at www.multicountycrimestoppers.com.
Alleged Sexual Assault Followed Grace Woodlands Youth Event
“The alleged assault happened Aug. 13 after a youth event, according to the victim’s mother,” KHOU 11 reported.
The alleged victim’s mother told KHOU 11 that “her children were invited to attend a youth event at Grace Church in The Woodlands. She said they attended with Isais Escobar and his parents, who are pastors of Iglesia de Cristo Ebenezer Emmanuel, a small church in Livingston. She said she had known the family for years and trusted them.”
After the event, the children reportedly spent the night at Escobar’s parents’ home with other teenagers. The mother “said she had no reason to be concerned. She described Escobar as a youth and worship leader at Grace while also serving at his parents’ church.” (KHOU 11)
The alleged assault occurred on August 13, and the girl reportedly disclosed it to her mother several days later. Her mother then contacted authorities, and Escobar was later arrested.
According to KHOU, the teenager questioned whether she could have been the only victim because, “‘He was too comfortable with what he did to me.’”
The alleged victim’s mother believes there could be other victims.
Escobar Was Enrolled in Grace’s “Pastor Training Program”
“Grace Church told KHOU 11 that Escobar entered a training program at Grace Church in The Woodlands in 2025. The church said he was not employed by Grace and did not hold a position there. The church said that after learning of an allegation against Escobar that was being investigated by authorities, he was immediately dismissed from the training program because of the nature of the allegation.” (KHOU 11)
The church has not released a public statement on its website or social media regarding Escobar as of the time of this writing.
Grace operates a pastoral training program called FORGE, founded by Senior Pastor Steve and Becky Riggles. The church did not specify whether Escobar was enrolled in FORGE specifically.
The alleged victim’s mother described Escobar’s role a bit differently, telling KHOU that he served as a youth and worship leader at Grace while also serving at his parents’ church in Livingston.
Escobar also appears to operate a YouTube channel under the name Isaias Escobar Worship, where worship-related videos have been posted.
About Grace Woodlands and Pastor Steve Riggle
Grace Woodlands is led by founding senior pastors Steve and Becky Riggle. Steve Riggle also serves as president of Grace International, a global network of over 5,400 churches.
Steve Riggle previously founded Grace Community Church in Houston, now known as Grace Church Houston. That church was sued by former member Tyler Bates, who alleged that youth dance group director Joel Davis sexually abused him as a teenager during church youth trips and that church leaders had been negligent. The litigation was ultimately resolved through a $2 million settlement.
Steve Riggle is profiled by Protestant Accountability under its “Allegations of Mishandling” category. Protestant Accountability is a nonprofit website that compiles publicly available information concerning alleged misconduct, sexual abuse and institutional responses within Protestant organizations.
The site links Riggle’s profile to a Wartburg Watch article titled, The Whole Story of Tyler Bates: Grace Church Pastors Didn’t Tell Him He Was Molested, Said He Wasn’t Affected When He Found Out, and Protected the Abuser, Not the Victim, which alleges that Riggle played a “prominent role in downplaying Tyler’s molestation.”
When a Trusted Religious Leader Is Accused of Sexual Abuse
Those who groom or sexually abuse children do not always appear threatening. They may be trusted community members whose positions allow them to build relationships with young people and earn the trust of parents and families.
This dynamic can be particularly concerning in religious settings, where pastors or youth leaders may be viewed as spiritual authorities and entrusted with significant access to children and teenagers.
For survivors, particularly children and teenagers, speaking out against someone trusted by their family, church, or community can be especially difficult. They may fear they will not be believed, worry about the consequences of coming forward, or feel pressure to protect the reputation of a person or institution they were taught to trust.
Unfortunately, allegations involving religious leaders continue to emerge across the country.
In many church abuse cases, survivors have described institutional responses that compounded the harm, including efforts to minimize allegations, discredit victims, protect accused leaders, handle reports internally, discourage outside reporting, or prioritize an institution’s reputation over the safety of children.
Could Grace Woodlands h Be Held Liable?
Escobar’s enrollment in a Grace Woodlands pastor training program, combined with the allegation that the events preceding the alleged assault began with a Grace youth event, raises important questions about the nature of his relationship with the church and the safeguards in place.
Those questions may include:
- What responsibilities, if any, did Escobar have at Grace involving children or teenagers?
- What was his actual role in Grace youth or worship activities?
- What policies governed interactions between pastor trainees and minors?
- What screening and background checks were required?
- How were individuals in the pastor training program supervised?
- Did church leadership receive any prior concerns, complaints, or warning signs involving Escobar?
Whether Grace Woodlands or another religious organization could face civil liability would depend on the specific facts, including what church officials knew or reasonably should have known, and whether reasonable safeguards were in place.
Legal Options for Survivors of Church Sexual Abuse
If you or your child was sexually abused by Isaias Escobar or another ministry leader, trainee, volunteer, or trusted adult in a religious setting, you may have civil legal rights.
The attorneys at Andreozzi + Foote represent survivors of institutional sexual abuse in Texas and across the country. Our firm has extensive experience handling cases involving churches, youth organizations, and other institutions entrusted with protecting children.
Civil litigation can provide survivors with a pathway to pursue compensation and accountability and help encourage stronger safeguards to protect others in the future.
We offer free case evaluations to help survivors understand their rights and explore the legal options that may be available to them.
Contact us today.
Image source: Isaias Escobar, courtesy of San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, via x.com/AnayeliNews. Background: Grace Woodlands, gracewoodlands.com
