Man accused of sexually abusing child, telling her to keep it “a secret”

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Westmoreland County man is facing felony charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a child multiple times.

Joshua Barden, 33, of Vandergrift has been accused of sexually abusing a child several times when they were 6 or seven years old, according to a criminal complaint. The alleged incidents occurred multiple times between 2021 and 2022 in Jefferson County. At the time of the incidents, the child would have been six or seven and Barden was 29 to 30.

In March 2024, the alleged victim and her parents reported that the child had just disclosed that she had been sexually abused by Barden. In an interview, she told police that Barden allegedly touched her inappropriately and performed sexual acts on her, according to the affidavit.

She also told police that Barden told her to “keep this a secret,” according to the complaint. In April, Barden contacted police about a letter he had received from CYS and was upset. Police noted that Barden was crying and stated, “he was going to do 22 years for this and that he was scared.” Police told him that if he didn’t do anything, he had nothing to be afraid of.

Police then asked him what happened, and he allegedly said that he and the victim were playing around and he did it accidentally. According to the complaint, police told him, “that kind of thing does not happen accidentally.” Police then said Barden allegedly told them that the victim asked him to do those things to her.

Barden is in the Jefferson County Prison. He is facing four felony charges each of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child.

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He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 3.

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