Man Raped 14-Year-Old Haverford Girl He Found On Social Media: DA

HAVERTOWN, PA — A Havertown man used the social media app "Whisper" to find a 14-year-old girl he later raped, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

Joseph R. Valiquette, 22, first began chatting with the victim via the app on April 22, the DA said.

The girl wrote that she was depressed after fighting with her mother, and Valiquette commented on her post and began a conversation with her.

Eventually Valiquette asked her to hang out and watch a movie, and the girl agreed and gave him the address to her Haverford Township home, police said.

Valiquette showed up almost immediately, about five minutes later. The girl let him inside and he asked to see her bedroom, police said. Once inside, the man began to choke her, and shoved her down onto the bed, where he pulled off her shorts and raped her, according to the DA.

Valiquette then left the home.

The victim gave Pennsylvania State Police a description of Valiquette, and he was tracked down to a home on Marthart Avenue in Havertown in mid-September following an investigation.

When questioned by police, Valiquette said the sex was consensual and he thought that she was 16.

He faces charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and unlawful contact with a minor, all felonies. He failed to post $150,000 bail and was remanded to George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 9.

Image via Delaware County District Attorney's Office