Pastor, Christian Podcast Host Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Teen and Manipulating Custody
A North Carolina Pastor accused by a girl’s parents of grooming their daughter and manipulating custody pleaded guilty to a statutory sexual offense.
Trent Brandon Holbert / Buncombe County Detention Center
Trent Brandon Holbert, 41, formerly the pastor of The Ridge Church near Asheville, pleaded guilty to felony attempted statutory sexual offense against a 15-year-old girl.
On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, Judge Sharon Tracey Barrett sentenced Holbert to serve roughly 7-14 years (94-173 months) in state custody, per the plea agreement.
In June 2021, MinistryWatch reported that detectives from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit executed a search warrant, arrested Holbert, and seized several electronic devices.
Police then charged Holbert with one count of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory sex offense with a child between the ages of 6 and 15.
In October 2021, warrants uncovered more details in the case. The documents alleged Holbert groomed the teen by befriending her parents, who joined The Ridge Church.
According to the victim’s family, Holbert used his title as a pastor to manipulate the victim. For example, investigators said because the parents had limited means, Holbert offered their daughter a bedroom in his home. They claim he even bought her undergarments as the two started a relationship.
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The parents said Holbert manipulated them into signing a parental waiver so he could care for the teen in case they died. Then, investigators said, he called DSS on the teen’s parents and accused them of neglect—a claim that a DSS worker eventually found unsubstantial.
Following his arrest in June of 2021, The Ridge Church (a merge of Ridgecrest Baptist and Passion Fellowship) said in a statement that Holbert had resigned from his pastoral position. In November 2022, the church issued another statement announcing The Ridge Church was hosting its last service Nov. 27 and would then be replanted by Restoration Church.
In addition to pastoring, Holbert hosted the podcast Fit for the Kingdom. The show produced 143 episodes and ranked among the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,023,568 podcasts.
Holbert must register as a sex offender for 30 years, pay $1,800 in restitution, and have no contact with the victim for the remainder of his natural life.
