OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A man was charged with allegedly groping a woman on an Oakland County trail.
On June 16 at around 5:45 p.m., a woman reported to police that she had been groped by an unknown man while she was walking on the Clinton River Trail just east of I-75. She said it happened an hour before she reported it to police.
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Police searched the area and did not find anyone matching the suspect’s description at that time.
On July 9, another woman reported to police that she was being followed by a man on the same trail near Avondale High School. According to police, the suspect’s description closely matched the one provided for the incident on June 16.
Officers and detectives began searching the area and obtained surveillance footage. Detectives were able to find the suspect’s vehicle using information from a partial license plate and distinct characteristics of the vehicle at an apartment complex just south of the trail. Police identified the suspect as Ian Matthew Johnson, a 20-year-old Auburn Hills resident, and said both victims positively identified him in a lineup.
On July 16, police executed a search warrant at Johnson’s apartment and took him into custody.
Johnson was arraigned on July 17 on a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge. His bond was set at $7,500. He was ordered to wear a GPS tether upon release and is banned from the Clinton River Trail.
If convicted, Johnson faces a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in jail, a fine up to $500 and mandatory sex offender registration.
He is expected to return to court on July 31 at 8 a.m.
“Thanks to reports from the victims, police were able to identify this defendant and make sure he won’t harass anyone else,” said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. “We suspect these weren’t isolated incidents. If you think this person accosted you, contact your local police. Together, we can make our parks and trails safe for everyone.”