A twisted twenty-two year old man is behind bars after raping a 14-year-old female who he targeted through the social media app Whisper, police said. According to the victim, she had been using the social media application Whisper on her cellphone on April 22, 2018, where she posted a comment that she felt depressed and was fighting with her mother.
Joseph Robert Valiquette, 22, of the unit block of Marthart Avenue in Havertown, was arrested on Oct. 4 and charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and unlawful contact with a minor, all felonies of the first degree.
An investigation was launched by detectives following the report of a rape that had occurred in Haverford Township.
When the vulnerable girl took to the app, the dangerous predator responded and engaged the victim in a conversation.
The victim stated that the user seemed nice, and eventually he asked her to hang out and watch a movie. The victim agreed and provided the user with her home address in Haverford Township. The Whisper application showed that this other person was about a half mile from her location.
Within about five minutes of agreeing to meet, the victim observed a male walking down her street toward her residence. She allowed the male into her house at which time he asked to see her bedroom.
Once inside, they went into her bedroom where the male began to choke her with both hands around her neck, and he pushed her onto the bed. He then pulled off her shorts and forcibly raped her, and then left the residence.
The victim provided a description to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Michael Davis who developed a composite sketch of the perpetrator. She described the man who only identified himself “Joe,” as a white male, over 21 years of age, wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt, black shorts, gold chain, a buzz cut hair, stubble beard, blonde or reddish hair, blue eyes and similar to her height.
Following the results of a search warrant, the composite sketch and further investigation, CID Detective Pisani was able to develop a person of interest as Joseph Robert Valiquette. On September 14, 2018, Detectives Johnson and Pisani executed a search warrant for electronic evidence at Valiquette’s residence located on Marthart Avenue.
The dangerous rapist was home at the time of the search and agreed to speak to detectives back at the Haverford Police station. He told them he believed the victim was 16-years-old claiming that the sexual encounter was consensual, and denied using any force.
“Joseph Robert Valiquette used social media to target this unsuspecting child, engaging her in conversation and then preying on her vulnerability and innocence for his own sexual gratification. Sadly, this is a sobering reminder that predators are actively using social media and applications, especially those with geo-locating capabilities, to attempt to lure and victimize children,” Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland told yc.news. “Our detectives on the ICAC Task Force continue to work with our partners in local law enforcement to rout out these dangerous predators and bring these despicable individuals to justice. I would like to commend Detective Mark Johnson of the Haverford Township Police Department, PSP Trooper Michael Davis, and Detective Edmond Pisani of the District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, who were able to identify and arrest this perpetrator.”
“This sexual assault/rape occurred in Haverford Township involving an underage victim. Detectives from Haverford, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office investigated the assault using technology and investigative knowledge, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police who provided a composite sketch to identify the suspect and make the arrest,” Haverford Police Chief John Viola told yc.news Friday. “Cooperation from all agencies was the key to this investigation.”
Joseph Valiquette has been remanded to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility after failing to post bail which was set at ten percent of $150,000 by Magisterial District Judge Elisa C. Lacianca. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 9, 2018.