Montgomery County police have arrested and charged a man who allegedly lured a young girl into a wooded area and sexually assaulted her in Olney, Maryland. But police worry the crimes may not stop there.
News4 found that the suspect, 31-year-old Joshua Black, has faced charges in the past for indecent exposure, stalking and trespassing. Authorities are now also asking any other victims who may have been sexually assaulted by Black to come forward.
The most recent incident happened on Thursday at around 7 p.m. in the 17700 block of Prince Philip Drive. Black faces multiple counts of second-degree rape and third-degree sex offense for allegedly luring the “the juvenile female victim into a wooded area… where he sexually assaulted her.”
Montgomery County police detectives quickly identified him as the suspect and arrested him at his home, authorities said.
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According to the University of Maryland's Police Department, Black was also arrested for a second-degree assault and molestation charge on campus in April 2022.
Neighbors in the Olney community include county official Dr. Earl Stoddard, who claimed that not only is the suspect known in the area, but he was also “caught masturbating under a towel” in front of teenagers, including Stoddard’s daughter, at a local pool.
That incident allegedly occurred in May, but Black was not charged with a crime.
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“Obviously it was alarming to us as parents, but more so for our community,” Stoddard said. “There are a fair number of kids in this area and it’s pretty densely – it’s a lot of walking community. And so given the circumstances of this sexual assault, it was not surprising that the victim was essentially a young person walking a dog. That is a very common activity; it’s a very walkable neighborhood.”
Black remains in police custody and is being held without bond.
Anyone with information about other potential crimes should contact the Montgomery County Police Department.
