Chester County Man Charged in Alleged Indecent Assault of 11-Year-Old at Walmart

Pennsylvania State Police and court documents say Joseph Gerard Bouffard, 26, of Glenmoore, followed an 11-year-old girl around the Walmart in West Sadsbury Township and indecently touched her on Jan. 24, according to filings reviewed by local media. CBS Philadelphia reported the conduct was described in court papers as occurring inside the store.

WPVI reported that police say Bouffard grabbed the child when she was separated from her mother in the beverage aisle and that the girl immediately turned and ran back to her mother. WPVI also reported that state troopers confronted Bouffard in his employer’s parking lot “late last month,” and that he allegedly told officers, “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

Court and news accounts identify the charges against Bouffard as including unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault and corrupting minors. KYW Newsradio detailed the complaint as one felony count of unlawful contact with a minor and three misdemeanor charges, including two counts of indecent assault and one count of corrupting minors. CBS reported Bouffard “was arraigned Wednesday in Parkesburg District Court on charges of indecent assault, unlawful sexual contact with a minor and corruption of minors.”

Reporting differs on Bouffard’s custody status after arraignment. CBS said he was released on $25,000 unsecured bail. WHP cited records showing he was being held on a $25,000 bond. KYW reported Bouffard was arraigned and released without bail and said a preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 16. Parkesburg District Court records and a Pennsylvania State Police press release were cited by those outlets; the exact bail or bond status should be confirmed with the court docket and police records.

Local outlets published a mugshot identified as Bouffard and noted that state police had released his image and details. Multiple reports list Trooper Christopher Johnson as the contact for tips, with the phone number 610-486-6280, and state police have asked anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

Bouffard’s arraignment took place in Parkesburg District Court, and KYW reported the preliminary hearing is tentatively set for March 16. Court documents that multiple outlets cited place the alleged assault on Jan. 24; an alternate date appearing in an earlier brief summary was March 2, but that date conflicts with the court filings referenced by state police and the reporting.

The investigation remains active and criminal proceedings are ongoing. Pennsylvania State Police and Parkesburg District Court records provide the basis for the charges and timeline reported so far, and authorities are seeking additional information from the public through Trooper Christopher Johnson at 610-486-6280.