Cincinnati man charged in Elyria for allegedly raping young girl

A man from Cincinnati in custody He is in the Lorain County Jail after police say he groomed and raped a teenage girl in Elyria.

U.S. Marshals arrested 35-year-old Joshua Telford in Hamilton County on Wednesday before he was taken into custody by the Elyria Police Department on Wednesday, according to a press release. Telford’s capture followed a month-long investigation by Elyria police after a woman claimed someone had sex with her 12-year-old daughter.

Telford is accused of contacting the boy when he was 11 years old and then traveling to Elyria to sexually assault him late last year. Telford now faces the following charges:

• Illegal sexual conduct with a minor (two counts)

• Posting obscenity involving a minor or disabled person

• Dissemination of materials harmful to children

• Punish the child (three counts)

“We are grateful for the prompt and professional assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team,” Elyria Police Capt. Bill Lantz said in a statement. “Their partnership and dedication was instrumental in locating and safely apprehending the suspect. Given the seriousness of these charges and the vulnerability of the victim, it was critical that the suspect was located and captured quickly.”

Telford is currently being held without bail and details regarding his first court appearance are not available at this time. Meanwhile, police are trying to locate other possible victims and anyone with such information is asked to call detectives at 440-326-1212.