PORTER TWP., Pa. (EYT) — Police say a man is behind bars for allegedly raping a young child in Porter Township.
According to court documents, Punxsutawney-based State Police filed criminal charges against 33-year-old Joshua Xavier Barden, of Vandergrift, in District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on Monday, July 1.
According to a criminal complaint, this incident occurred approximately two (2) to three (3) years prior and no exact date is known. The alleged incident(s) occurred multiple times between 2021 and 2022 in Jefferson County, Pa.
The victim, who is currently nine years old, would have been approximately six to seven years old during the time frame of this incident(s), making the defendant, identified as Joshua Barden, approximately 29 to 30 years old, the complaint states.
The investigation began on March 18 when the victim reported she was sexually abused by Barden numerous times while at a residence in Porter Township, Jefferson County.
In a forensic interview on April 4, the victim stated Barden would inappropriately touch her with his hands/fingers and mouth. She told police this happened multiple times and Barden told her to “keep this a secret,” the complaint states.
On April 12, investigators learned Barden had contacted a known female about this incident. In the phone call, Barden said he received a letter from CYS with the victim’s name on it. He was upset and crying and made a comment that he was “going to do 22 years for this” and that he was scared, the complaint indicates.
Barden went on to tell the known female that he and the victim were “playing around” and he did it accidentally. The known female told Barden that kind of thing does not happen accidentally and that she didn’t believe him. Barden then stated that the victim “asked him to do those things to her,” the complaint notes.
Barden was charged with the following on Monday, July 1:
- Rape of Child, Felony 1 (four counts)
- IDSI Person Less Than 16 Yrs Age, Felony 1 (four counts)
- Sexual Assault, Felony 2 (four counts)
- Invol. Deviate Sexual Intercourse W/ Child, Felony (four counts)
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on July 3 with Judge Mizerock presiding.
EDITOR’S NOTE 1: Extreme graphic details were not included due to the sexual nature of the alleged crime.
EDITOR’S NOTE 2: Several details were removed from this article to help protect the identity of the alleged victim.