John Jefferson
Lonnie Joe Ward, Jr. (Alachua County Sheriff’s Office)
A 47-year-old man in Florida has been arrested for allegedly groping a juvenile teen girl who was one of several young “actors” working at a local haunted house. Lonnie Joe Ward, Jr. was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with one count of felony lewd and lascivious behavior — molesting a victim under the age of 16, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Deputies with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office on the evening of Friday, Oct. 11, responded to a call about a possible sexual offense that took place at a haunted house located in Newberry, Florida, according to a report from the Alachua Chronicle.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders made contact with the juvenile victim who reportedly explained that she was an employee at the seasonal facility where she worked as a “scare actor.” The victim explained to deputies that she was finishing her shift at the haunted house where the final patron of the evening was allegedly Ward.
The victim was reportedly sitting in a chair while a male juvenile “scare actor” stood behind her when Ward allegedly approached the duo. The victim reportedly told authorities that Ward stood in front of her before bending down and touching her in an inappropriate manner over her clothing. Ward then allegedly grabbed the victim by the arm while staring at her “in a bizarre manner” for about 30 seconds.
According to a report from Gainesville ABC and CW affiliate WCJB, the haunted house was being “hosted” by multiple teenagers and the alleged juvenile victim was 15 years old. The report further stated that Ward is accused of rubbing the teenage girl’s inner thigh before grabbing and staring at her.
The teen who was standing behind the victim at the time of the alleged attack reportedly corroborated the victim’s claims, allegedly telling investigators that Ward groped the victim for about five seconds before grabbing her arm and staring at her for about 30 seconds. The juvenile male said that Ward then looked at him with what appeared to be an expression of surprise, and then tried to “play it off” before walking away.
Ward was taken into custody and booked into the Alachua County Jail at 12:47 a.m. on Saturday. After being read his Miranda rights, investigators say that Ward denied touching the victim or anyone else in an inappropriate manner. He further claimed that he was walking through the haunted house because he was looking for his son.
Ward is currently being held without bond. Should he be released, a judge ordered that he have no contact with the victim. Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that prosecutors with the state attorney’s office filed a notice of intent seeking to have Ward held in detention until his trial.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Law&Crime seeking additional information on the matter.
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