JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A former Jacksonville youth pastor is behind bars following a nearly three-month investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office into allegations of sexual battery against a minor.
Joshua Trent, 42, was arrested April 12, at a local restaurant on Normandy Boulevard, according to court records. He is being held without bond on two counts of felony sexual battery.
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According to his arrest report, the case began on Jan. 16, 2026, when JSO detectives received a First Coast Crime Stoppers tip alleging that Trent had sexually abused a victim over a period spanning 2016 to 2022. The alleged abuse is said to have begun when the female victim was a minor.
Detectives with JSO’s Special Assault Unit launched a formal investigation on Jan. 20, 2026. Through social media research, investigators were able to identify and contact a witness who provided them with the victim’s contact information.
On the same day investigators reached out, the victim came forward and agreed to be interviewed.
Church, software company named as key
According to the arrest report, Trent had served as a youth pastor at a Jacksonville-area church where the victim and her family were members. Investigators say Trent used his position of trust within the church to build a close personal relationship with the victim over time.
Trent was also employed as a vice president of a church software company located on Normandy Boulevard. Investigators say the alleged abuse occurred at multiple locations, including the company’s office and Trent’s home.
Trent was terminated from the software company in November 2021 — approximately two weeks after two detectives visited the business to investigate a separate matter tied to Trent involving a computer’s IP address. Police say the company’s owner confirmed that Trent and the victim were frequently seen alone together in Trent’s closed-door office.
Investigators point to a pattern of grooming
Investigators say Trent used his role within the church, combined with the victim’s family circumstances, to establish what the report describes as a “custodial relationship” — a key legal element of the charges filed against him.
Detectives say the pattern began with seemingly innocent contact, including text messages and physical interactions during church activities, before escalating over time. Court documents indicate the victim was a minor with no prior sexual experience when the alleged abuse began.
When the victim attempted to resist, investigators say Trent threatened self-harm to coerce her compliance, referencing a firearm he was said to carry with him regularly.
Recorded conversation, prior cyber tip bolster case
According to his arrest report, on Jan. 28, 2026, the victim participated in a recorded investigative call with Trent. During the conversation, Trent made statements that detectives say confirm his awareness of and participation in specific incidents described by the victim. According to the report, he told the victim, “I think about you 100% of everyday ... I still saved all the emails so I can go back and read them.”
Investigators also uncovered a prior CyberTipLine report, filed by Instagram on May 3, 2021, which flagged an account linked to Trent for child exploitation material. JSO records show the 2021 investigation was closed without criminal charges after Trent told detectives at the time that the recipient of the material was an adult with whom he had been having an affair. Investigators in the current case say a review of the victim’s birth date contradicts that claim.
Arrest made at local restaurant
Police say Trent was located on Sunday, April 12 by detectives with JSO’s Community Problem Response Unit, who had been actively searching for him on an active arrest warrant issued April 9. Investigators spotted Trent leaving Westside Baptist Church on Herlong Road and followed his black Ford Bronco to a Larry’s Giant Subs on Normandy Boulevard, where he was apprehended.
Trent told detectives he wanted his lawyer and declined to speak with investigators. He was transported to the Duval County Jail.