Homeless man charged with aggravated assault for attack on child in north jersey park

MORRISTOWN, NJ — In a troubling development, John Dowd, a 56-year-old homeless man from Morristown, has been arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from an incident reported to have occurred on May 9 at George Gramby Memorial Park in Morristown.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, along with Morristown Police, announced that the juvenile male victim, aged four, reported being assaulted by an unidentified man in the park. Dowd, known to frequent the area, was identified, apprehended, and charged on May 15.

Currently, Dowd is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing, as mandated by the Criminal Justice Reform Act. The charges filed against him include violations of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(a)(1) for aggravated assault, and N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(a)(1) for endangering the welfare of a child.

The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement agencies, including the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit and the Morristown Police Department, are involved. The public is urged to come forward with any information related to the case by contacting the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office or the Morristown Police Department.

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