JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A former local youth pastor has been arrested and charged with sexual battery on a minor.<\/p>\n
The graphic police report details the alleged grooming of a female church member over six years. <\/p>\n
42-year-old Joshua Trent is the man accused.<\/p>\n
Action News Jax interviewed Trent in 2020 after he raised concerns about a video shown in Duval Schools he argued normalized the sending of nude photos.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheist thing I want is a child in this district to think sending photos of themselves inappropriately is the right thing to do,\u201d Trent said in the interview.<\/p>\n
But the former youth pastor is now accused of grooming and sexually battering an underage female victim who was a member of one of the churches he previously worked at.<\/p>\n
Hillcrest Baptist Church confirmed Trent worked there from 2016 through 2018 and told us it is cooperating with the investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are committed to supporting those involved with compassion, care, and respect for their privacy,\u201d said a church spokesperson in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n
The police report details a progression of inappropriate touching, starting with hugs and escalating to sexual intercourse with the victim.<\/p>\n
Criminal Defense Attorney Chris Carson argued it\u2019s an all too familiar story.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we do see a lot of these types of allegations arising in the context of church with a pastor, teachers, athletic coaches,\u201d said Carson.<\/p>\n
Some of the incidents allegedly occurred in church parking lots and even in the office of ChurchTrac, a church technology company Trent worked at from 2012 through 2021.<\/p>\n
The allegations came to light when the alleged victim called an anonymous tip hotline in January of this year, four years after she last had contact with Trent.<\/p>\n
Carson explained that the gap of time between the alleged crimes and the reporting of those incidents is also not uncommon.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes children are just not as open with these things,\u201d said Carson. \u201dThey\u2019re embarrassed or ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trent\u2019s arrest report indicates he was also investigated for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material in 2021, but no charges were ultimately filed.<\/p>\n
The police report suggested Trent could have faced more charges for incidents that allegedly occurred after the victim turned 18, but the statute of limitations had expired.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, typically with serious offenses, particularly those committed against children, the statute of limitations is much broader and, in many cases, nonexistent,\u201d said Carson.<\/p>\n
Trent posted a $400,000 bond and was released from the Duval County Jail last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He is due back in court on May 5th.<\/p>\n
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