Former Jacksonville-area youth pastor Joshua Trent, 42, is being held without bond after his April 12 arrest on two counts of felony sexual battery, according to court records. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the alleged abuse began when the victim was a minor and continued over several years, the result of what investigators describe as a months-long grooming pattern that sparked an extended investigation.
Investigation and arrest
Detectives say the case opened after a First Coast Crime Stoppers tip came in on Jan. 16. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Special Assault Unit launched a formal investigation on Jan. 20, according to the report.
Investigators say they used social media to identify a witness who then provided contact information for the victim. The victim agreed to an interview that same day, and the case quickly moved forward.
On Jan. 28, during a recorded investigative phone call, investigators say Trent told the victim, “I think about you 100% of everyday … I still saved all the emails so I can go back and read them.” Detectives say those comments line up with the conduct described in the report, according to News4JAX.
Where detectives say it happened
The arrest report states that Trent served as a youth pastor at a Jacksonville-area church where the victim’s family were members. He also worked as a vice president at a church-software company on Normandy Boulevard…