Church youth leader who assaulted minor 'knew it was wrong', court told

Joshua Emonson (back right) pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl in February. (Supplied: Facebook)

Joshua Emonson told police he "knew it was wrong" after admitting to sexually assaulting a teenage girl in February, a court has heard.

The 24-year-old is also facing charges of grooming and other child sex crimes in a separate case relating to events before the February incident.

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.

Emonson is the son of a senior pastor at the Encourage Church and worked at its childcare centre. (Supplied)

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.

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 polici