Former Jacksonville-area Youth Pastor Arrested for Sexual Battery

A former youth pastor and minister has been arrested and charged with sexual battery after allegations of abuse spanning over a decade. Joshua Allen Trent, 42, was admitted into the Duval County Jail April 12 and charged with two counts of sexual battery following an investigation that began in January.

Trent was released 10 days later on an $800,000 bond – $400,000 for each charge. He is scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. May 14 for a hearing on motion at the Duval County Courthouse. A First Coast Crime Stoppers tip received Jan. 16 stated that Trent had sexually abused an underage female. Local media reports state the woman, who didn’t make the initial report, was 15 years old at the time the alleged abuse started in 2016.

Trent served as youth pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church from June 2016 through April 2018. A detective with the Special Assault Unit in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office interviewed the alleged victim, now 25. She recounted how Trent built trust with her family and gradually began molesting her both at the church and at a separate workplace, a software company named ChurchTrac. The alleged abuse included at least one videoed act.

One of the girl’s parents was away serving in the military, which also made her susceptible to abuse, an affidavit recorded. Trent would eventually control her social media accounts. As the girl grew older and expressed wishes to stop Trent’s actions, he maintained control by threatening to kill himself with a handgun he kept in a backpack. The alleged victim said she had seen the gun and felt he was serious, leading her to stay quiet.

“This trust and position the suspect held allowed him to assume a custodial relationship with the victim,” the affidavit states. In addition to interacting at the church, Trent also had authority over the girl at ChurchTrac, where she helped move items. She also reports that abuse took place in the Trent home, where she was a babysitter for the family.

“… [H]e assumed complete custody over her,” the affidavit said. “If at any time during these three circumstances, the victim needed to be contacted by [REDACTED] or had an emergency, the suspect would have been the primary point of contact.” Hillcrest Baptist Pastor Chris Pruitt said the church is aware of the situation, calling it “deeply concerning and it grieves our hearts.”

“First and foremost, our prayers and concern are with those affected,” he said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting those involved with compassion, care, and respect for their privacy. We take matters like this seriously. The individual is no longer associated with our church and has not been since 2018. We are fully cooperating with the authorities as they conduct their investigation, and we remain committed to integrity, safety, and accountability in our ministry.”

Source: Read the original report

Source record preserved at time of reporting.