Havertown man charged with rape of teen police say he lured on Whisper app

The 14-year-old felt discouraged and alone. So, from her Havertown home, she turned to the anonymous messaging app Whisper, posting that she was depressed and fighting with her mother.

Quickly, she got a reply. Starting from a half-mile away, Joseph Robert Valiquette talked his way into the teenager's home and ultimately into her bedroom, where he choked her, pushed her down on the bed, raped her, and fled, authorities said.

Valiquette, 22, of Havertown, was arrested Thursday and charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, and other charges related to the April 22 attack, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office said.

"Joseph Robert Valiquette used social media to target this unsuspecting child, engaging her in conversation and then preying on her vulnerability and innocence for his own sexual gratification," District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland said. "Sadly, this is a sobering reminder that predators are actively using social media and applications, especially those with geo-locating capabilities, to attempt to lure and victimize children."

When Valiquette replied to the teenager's post that Sunday in April, he seemed nice, the victim told police. So when he asked her if she wanted to meet and watch a movie, she gave him her address, authorities said. Valiquette arrived at the girl's home within minutes and asked to see her bedroom. Once inside, he attacked her, choking her with both hands, forcing off her shorts, and raping her, authorities said.

The girl later provided police with a description of her attacker, whom she only knew as "Joe,"and they narrowed in on Valiquette. Last month, authorities arrived at his home and served a search warrant for his electronic devices. In speaking with detectives at the Haverford police station later that day, Valiquette told them that he thought the girl was 16 and that the sex had been consensual, authorities said.

Valiquette's attorney, Daniel McGarrigle, declined to comment.

Valiquette was being held Thursday at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility with bail set at $150,000. He awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday.