MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is asking for any additional victims to come forward after they charged a 32-year-old Milwaukee man with four counts of sexual assault last month.
Joshua Schober was charged with the four counts on September 28. The District Attorney's Office says the four assaults were perpetrated on four different victims, between July of 2018 and April of 2022. Each victim told police that Schober's assaults were "facilitated by alcohol consumption," according to a news release sent Tuesday morning.
According to the news release, one of the victims woke up after spending the evening on Water St. and found evidence she had been sexually assaulted. Surveillance video from her home showed Schober arriving with the victim and then leaving hours later. Three of the four alleged assaults involved Schober making contact with victims in the "Water Street area" late at night.
Two of the women’s stories from 2018 and 2020 are very similar. According to court records, both claim they were so drunk after a night at the bars on Water Street, that they had to request surveillance video to identify who was in their apartment the night before. Court records show the DNA found from a swab at each scene matched Schober’s.
Another victim from five years ago says she met the suspect on Tinder. Court records show she went to his house to “smoke” but instead “…the defendant began to kiss her, and she told him to stop…pushed her down pulled down her pants, and was on top of her.” Court records say DNA results from a sexual assault kit matched Schober’s.
The fourth victim from 2022 claims her memory was so spotty from the alcohol she drank, that she got into an Uber with Schober, and the next thing she remembers was the defendant on top of her. Court records say she was “…crying and telling him to stop…push him off of her and scrambled to her feet.”
Both the Milwaukee Police Department and the District Attorney's Office are concerned there may be additional victims.
Cash bond for Schober was set at $25,000 last week, court records show. Jail records do not indicate Schober is in custody as of Tuesday morning.
Deputy Chief District Attorney Kent Lovern says they did not feel they had enough of a case to convict when the allegations began in 2018, because the suspect was adamant each case was consensual. TMJ4 asked why the DA's office believes there could be more victims. Lovern replied, "Just the similarity of the incidents as they unfolded leads us to believe it's possible."
If convicted, the 32-year-old faces 130 years behind bars.
The District Attorney's Office shared the following resources for victims in their news release:
If you experienced a similar assault and wish to report that assault to the police, please call the Milwaukee Police Department, Sensitive Crimes Division, at 414-935-7405.
If you would prefer to discuss the matter with a victim advocate from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, please call 414-278-4617.
TMJ4 News does not usually show the mug shots of suspects, but is choosing to do so in this case as authorities believe there may be more victims. You can read our mug shot policy here.
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