A Worcester man is facing fresh charges after allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl. He's also accused of throwing off a bridge in a harrowing 2017 incident. 41-year-old Joshua Hubert, already indicted on attempted murder and kidnapping charges, was arraigned on Wednesday, where prosecutors announced the additional charges of aggravated rape against him, according to MassLive.
Hubert's encounter with the law began when the young girl, who had been taken from her grandparent's Worcester home, where Hubert was a guest, told authorities he choked her and then threw her off a bridge, as she detailed to Worcester Police Detective Dyan Patient that she tried pushing him away, but it didn't work.
In an earlier court appearance, Hubert had been released on bail and was initially scheduled to appear in March 2020, but his trial date was delayed, landing him back in court this December, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the assault and was ordered to maintain no contact with the victim or any child under 16, according to MassLive.
The victim's 2017 ordeal saw her swimming to safety after the fall from the bridge and reaching a nearby house for help, wherein a resident tended to her, providing dry clothes and contacting the police. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. praised the girl's resilience and the good Samaritan's action, saying, "Fortunately, a greater tragedy was averted," as confirmed by PEOPLE.
Following his latest court appearance, Hubert is expected back for additional hearings on February 7.
