NEW HOLLAND, Pa. — A Lancaster County man has been accused of sending sexually assaulting and sending sexually explicit text messages to a juvenile girl earlier this year, according to New Holland Police.
Joseph Patterson, 34, is charged with five felony counts of corruption of minors, a felony count of false imprisonment of a minor, two felony counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, and a felony count of unlawful contact with a minor, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed by police.
Authorities began investigating in May, after the victim's father reported that the victim had been receiving numerous text messages from Patterson during a family vacation.
The victim's parents examined her phone and discovered Patterson had sent several sexually explicit messages to the girl, according to police.
A forensic examination of the phone provided to police by the victim's parents confirmed the contents of the messages, according to the criminal complaint.
The victim later told police that Patterson had had touched her breasts on at least two occasions while she was at his home, according to the complaint.
Police made several attempts to contact Patterson to interview him about the allegations, but Patterson did not make himself available, the complaint states.
Police filed charges against him on November 30.
