Ex-Middlesex Sheriff's Officer Assaulted Sleeping Women, Cops Say

EATONTOWN, NJ — A man who once worked as a Middlesex County Sheriff’s officer, and who earlier this year pleaded guilty to seeking sex with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, has now been charged with a slew of new sex crimes, including videotaping violent sexual assaults on multiple unconscious women. He sexually assaulted women over the span of three years, said Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey on Monday.

The man is Joshua Padilla, 36, who lives in Eatontown.

Many of these crimes took place at his home in Eatontown, with others occurring in Middlesex County, said the Monmouth County Prosecutor. She did not give specific town or location names in Middlesex County.

The county prosecutor alleges Padilla did this to three women that law enforcement knows of, and the sex assaults happened between 2016 into 2018. But investigators are asking that any possible other victims come forward, including those "who may not even have known they were victimized."

“These were truly unspeakable crimes against utterly helpless victims,” Acting Prosecutor Linskey said. “We are encouraged by the progress made so far in shepherding this case through the criminal justice system, but troubled by the prospects of other victims being out there who have yet to come forward — and who may not even have known they were victimized. We urge anyone with any information about the activities of this defendant to step forward and tell us what they know.”

Padilla was indicted Friday in a 20-count indictment. He is charged with eight counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, seven counts of third-degree invasion of privacy, four counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Padilla, a resident of Berkeley Place in Eatontown, was first arrested in February 2019 as part of an investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

In that case, Padilla was accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl in Northampton County, PA sometime in April or May 2018. The teen girl was first contacted over the Internet by Padilla on a website called adultfriendfinder.com. Padilla recorded the encounter with his cell phone, and uploaded the video depicting sex acts online, where it was viewed and shared by other adults, said the Pennsylvania AG.

As part of that investigation, the Pennsylvania AG said they unearthed "numerous" videos of Padilla performing sex acts on women who were clearly unconscious and unresponsive.

When he was first arrested, Padilla was employed as a Sheriff's Deputy in Middlesex County. He no longer works there.

In April of this year, Padilla pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact with a minor in connection to the Pennsylvania incident. He pleaded guilty to an additional incident where police said he tried to meet with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year old girl and shared sexually graphic photos. That again happened in Pennsylvania.

In that incident, Padilla said he wanted to meet with the purported child (actually a law enforcement agent), used sexually explicit language, sent the agent two pictures of his genitals, and asked for photos of the purported 14-year-old girl, authorities said.

Padilla's text messages indicated he would perform sex acts on her, and he asked for more photos of his purported 14-year-old victim while she was in school, authorities said.

Additionally, at that time he was found to be in possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brian Hammarstrom of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-431-7160, Ext. 6413. Anyone who wishes to make an anonymous report about this case can call the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers’ confidential tip line at 1-800-671-4400. Tipsters can also text “MONMOUTH” and their tip to 274637, or they can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

Prior: NJ Sheriff's Deputy Sexually Abused Girl And Made Video, AG Says (Feb. 2019)

Ex-Middlesex Sheriff's Officer Pleads Guilty In Underage Sex Case (April 2021)

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