Centre County man arrested, accused of sexually assaulting a child
A Centre County man was arrested Tuesday after a child disclosed at least three allegations of sexual abuse.
Joshua S. McCloskey, 24, of Howard Township, was charged with felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of someone younger than 16, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors. He’s also facing two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault.
State police at Rockview said in a heavily redacted affidavit of probable cause that the child reported the allegations in January. The alleged crimes were reported to have occurred between September 2024 and November 2025, police wrote.
McCloskey was accused of groping, unwanted kissing and digital penetration. Police said the child told investigators McCloskey threatened to slap them, which they were afraid of because he had before and is “three times” their size.
“What am I supposed to do?” police quoted the child as saying during a forensic interview in January at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County.
No defense lawyer was listed and the Centre County Public Defender Office said Tuesday afternoon it was not representing him.
District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker set bail Tuesday at $50,000. McCloskey is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 20.