Manchester Sex Offender Accused Of Following Girls Has 40 Arrests

HOWELL, NJ — A Tier 3 sex offender from Manchester arrested Wednesday in Howell on charges of following girls and their mothers around stores in Howell and making lewd comments to them has a lengthy criminal history that includes more than 40 arrests, state records show.

David F. Hohsfield, 62, of Columbus Avenue in the Whiting section, was arrested Wednesday by Howell Township police and charged with eight counts of harassment in connection with four incidents at three stores, Howell Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez said. The arrest followed multiple reports by women that a man had been following them and their daughters around stores and making sexual comments to them, Antunez said. The daughters range in age from 8 years old to 12, he said.

Hohsfield is listed as a Tier 3 sex offender in the New Jersey State Police internet sex offender registry, and according to the registry and state Department of Corrections records, he has a long criminal history that dates back to a sexual assault in 1997. But a state appellate court ruling in 2014 cites information that says his criminal history goes back to 1975.

State Department of Corrections records show Hohsfield had just been released from state prison on Feb. 13 following concurrent sentences that included a 1-year sentence imposed in April 2017 on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child, and a 4-year, 6-month sentence handed down in June 2015. That sentence was after Hohsfield was convicted of twice failing to register his residence under the provisions of Megan's Law, of trying to interfere with a monitoring device, and of stalking a former victim, according to DOC records.

The stalking incident was dated Aug. 1, 2012, just six weeks after Hohsfield was released from prison after serving three years of a 5-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to a charge of child endangerment.
Hohsfield has fought the Megan's Law provisions repeatedly since his 1997 guilty plea in a Bergen County case where he lured a girl to his car and then sexually assaulted her. According to a 2014 New Jersey State Appellate Court opinion on one of his appeals, Hohsfield violated the registration provision in 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2007.

That opinion also cited his March 2005 conviction. That occurred when an Asbury Park police officer saw Hohsfield stopped in his van talking to two 11-year-old girls, despite Hohsfield knowing he was prohibited from having contact with children he did not know. He negotiated a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office for a sentence of time served on the fourth-degree charge, the opinion noted.

It's in that opinion, however, that Hohsfield's more extensive past is discussed, as the opinion cites the presentence investigation report from that incident, which "indicated that defendant had a criminal history dating back to 1975 which consisted of 36 arrests, at least 12 municipal court convictions, and eight Superior Court convictions."

In each of the three convictions listed on the sex offender database registry, Hohsfield approached the victims in a public area and tried to lure them into his vehicle.

Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick Jr. said the descriptions of the incidents that happened May 4 and May 7 told the police department they had a serious issue, even without knowing Hohsfield was the suspect.

"Due to the nature of these incidents, we knew we had a dangerous person in our community," Kudrick said. "As such, it was our top priority to identify and apprehend this person. My officers did an outstanding job doing so. This quick resolution potentially prevented a more serious outcome to others.”

Hohsfield is accused of following women and their daughters, who ranged from 12 years old to 8, around stores in Howell while purposely making sexually explicit and vulgar comments in their presence, Antunez said. Hohsfield was charged with one count of harassment per victim which are fourth-degree crimes due to his status as a parolee, he said.

Two incidents happened May 4. Police were called to Target where a woman and her 12 year-old daughter reported being followed around the store, with the man — now identified as Hohsfield — following the daughter around the children’s swimsuit section, Antunez said. While she was being followed, the man was making sexually explicit comments as he pretended to speak to someone on his Bluetooth cell phone earpiece. The girl told her mother and they contacted security, Antunez said, but by that time Hohsfield had already left the store, he said.

That mother posted about the incident on social media, Antunez said, which prompted a second woman to contact police with a similar report of an incident, also on May 4, at TJMaxx, not far from Target. In that incident, the woman's 11-year-old daughter heard Hohsfield making sexually explicit and vulgar comments in the same manner previously reported, Antunez said.

Two additional incidents happened May 7 at Walmart and Target in Howell, Antunez said. In one instance, the mother was accompanied by her 12-year-old daughter; in the second, another woman was with her 8-year-old daughter, Antunez said. Both reported they were followed around the stores while Hohsfield engaged in similar conduct previously reported, Antunez said.

Hohsfield is being held at the Monmouth County jail, Antunez said.

Howell Township Police Department and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office are asking anyone who experienced a similar incident to contact police. Contact Antunez at cantunez@howellpolice.org or Detective Janet Benitez at jbenitez@howellpolice.org or call Howell Police headquarters at 732-938-4111.

Individuals who feel the need to remain anonymous, but who may have information relevant to this investigation can contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers confidential telephone tip-line by calling 1-800-671-4400; can text "MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637; or, they can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com. Monmouth County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of criminals and fugitives.

David Hohsfield, photo via New Jersey State Police database