Pastor's son sexually assaulted minor to 'feel something', court hears

The son of a church pastor "knew it was wrong" when he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl, a Victorian court has heard.

Joshua Emonson, 24, was taken into custody on Wednesday in front of his family and members of his Pentecostal church after he pleaded guilty to sexually penetrating the girl.

A prosecutor told the County Court that Emonson met the girl online and said he was "happy to be her first" when she informed him she was 13.

Emonson then set up the meeting near the Sunbury train station and sexually assaulted the girl in the back of his car.

"Obviously I knew it was wrong. I just couldn't stop myself," Emonson later told police.

"I needed to feel something. I knew she must have been underage."

Prosecutor Diana Hogan said the offending occurred hours after Emonson attended a family funeral.

The girl caught the train from Melbourne for the encounter at Sunbury, having never met Emonson in person before.

In a bid to conceal the crime, Emonson used a burner phone and told the girl not to tell anyone what happened.

However, she disclosed details to an adult who then informed authorities.

Defence barrister Samuel Tovey said Emonson's addiction to pornography was at the heart of a "cascading series of events and decisions".

He said his client now accepted responsibility for his actions, had undertaken rehabilitation, and recognised the toll on the young victim.

Mr Tovey said Emonson had endured a "torrid time" since his arrest, which included the end of his marriage, abuse from community members, and being kicked out of his indoor soccer team.

Further unrelated charges

The impact of Emonson's crime has rippled through his hometown of Romsey, north of Melbourne, and triggered multiple investigations.

Emonson was a youth leader at the Encourage Pentecostal church and worked at a childcare centre it ran.

Critics of the church board alleged it concealed details of the criminal allegations from childcare centre parents and members of the congregation.

Last year, the Department of Education began an investigation into whether the centre complied with relevant policies and procedures after Emonson was charged.

Meanwhile, Emonson's father Tim, the head pastor of the Encourage Church, was stood down after the Pentecostal peak body said he was "aware of concerns about his son's behaviour with underage females".

At the time, Tim Emonson denied any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Emonson was supported in court by his father, mother and brothers, along with about a dozen church members.

At the end of the hearing he was taken into the cells and into custody, ahead of his sentencing on June 23.

The court heard Emonson was facing charges in a separate case, relating to events prior to the February 2025 incident.

According to charge sheets, he is accused of grooming and committing two sexual assaults against a child under 16 in April 2024.

He is yet to enter a plea to those charges.