Rape charges brought against Worcester man accused of throwing 7-year-old girl off bridge
By Russ Reed
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WORCESTER, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Massachusetts man who stands accused of throwing a 7-year-old girl from a bridge into a lake six years ago is now facing multiple rape charges.
Joshua Hubert, 41, of Worcester, was arraigned Wednesday on one count of aggravated rape of a child with force and one count of rape of a child aggravated by age difference, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors had previously said that Hubert was a friend of members of the girl’s family and was at a cookout with them on Aug. 26, 2017.
According to prosecutors, Hubert put the girl in his car during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2017, strangled her and threw her off the Interstate 290 bridge over Lake Quinsigamond.
The 7-year-old girl survived the fall into the lake below, swam to shore and sought help at a nearby home on the Shrewsbury side of the lake. Authorities said the girl suffered visible but non-life-threatening injuries.
Hubert was arrested shortly thereafter and initially appeared in court on Aug. 28, 2017. He was later indicted by a Worcester County grand jury on Jan. 25, 2018, on two counts of attempted murder and single counts of kidnapping a child under the age of 16 and strangulation or suffocation.
At the time of his indictment in 2018, Hubert was being held on $2 million bail.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said Hubert’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2024.
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