Dalton, MN – A 59-year-old man wanted on charges tied to the alleged sexual assault of a New Jersey child more than three decades ago failed to appear in a Minnesota courtroom last week, sparking a multistate search.
Jed D. Phykitt, of Dalton, Minnesota, who was indicted last month by a Bergen County Grand Jury on five counts of second-degree sexual assault, did not show up for an August 4 extradition hearing after being previously released from custody. He now faces additional charges for failure to appear and is considered a fugitive by both New Jersey and Minnesota authorities.
The case against Phykitt stems from a February arrest following a nearly year-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit. The probe began after the Westwood Police Department reported allegations of child sexual abuse dating back to 1990 and 1991, when Phykitt lived in Washington Township, New Jersey.
Investigators say Phykitt assaulted a minor, who was between 13 and 16 years old at the time, on multiple occasions across Hillsdale, Washington Township, and Westwood, NJ. He was formally charged on February 5 and taken into custody the following day with help from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department.
Phykitt was initially jailed in Fergus Falls, MN, but later released to await his court date. His failure to appear at the scheduled hearing has prompted renewed efforts by law enforcement to locate him. Officials say his last known location was in Minnesota, but his current whereabouts remain unknown.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is now asking the public to assist in locating Phykitt. Tips can be submitted anonymously via the Prosecutor’s Office Tip Line at 201-226-5532.
