Oakland County authorities have charged 20-year-old Ian Matthew Johnson of Auburn Hills with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after allegations surfaced that he groped women on the Clinton River Trail. As reported by ClickOnDetroit, the initial incident occurred on June 16 when a female victim reported being groped by a man around 4:15 p.m. near east of I-75.
Following the report, Auburn Hills police officers combed the trail but were unable to find any suspects at that time, as detailed in The Detroit News. The trail of the suspect heated up last Wednesday after another woman told police she was being followed by a man matching the description of the June 16 incident near Avondale High School.
Investigators used surveillance footage coupled with a partial license plate to eventually trace a vehicle back to an apartment complex south of the trail, leading to the identification of Johnson as the suspect. Both victims positively identified Johnson in a photo array presented by detectives, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Subsequently, police executed a search warrant at Johnson's apartment on Wednesday, leading to his arrest the following day.
Johnson faced the court for arraignment yesterday, where "his bond was set at $7,500 cash/surety, 10%," mentioned FOX 2 Detroit. He has also been ordered to wear a GPS tether upon release and is banned from returning to the Clinton River Trail. The Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has expressed concern that these incidents are not isolated, encouraging anyone who may have been accosted by Johnson to come forward.
