Trent Brandon Holbert was the pastor of The Ridge church in Black Mountain, NC. He began molesting a child under the age of fifteen. He tried to extort her parents by reporting them for child abuse and offering to take their daughter. He gave the parents papers that would sign their daughter over to his care. However, the child protective services found the allegations unfounded. Rather, Holbert was sexually assaulting the child.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 8 to 14 years.
- AP News: Warrant: Ex-pastor devised scheme against girl’s parents
- ABC News: Former pastor pleads guilty to felony attempted statutory sex offense with minor
- Joe, My God: NC Pastor gets 8 to 14 years on child sex charges
Asheville, North Carolina · Sunday, January 29, 2023