LANCASTER COUNTY – A Lancaster County man was convicted of grabbing a young girl and pulling her across a field to a secluded area following a two-day trial. The Lancaster County jury found 43-year-old Joshua Dawber of Rapho Township guilty of a single count of false imprisonment of a minor, a felony offense. Dawber, who was a stranger to the 13-year-old victim, grabbed the victim and pulled her behind a barn near his home in the first block of Hemlock Acres Court on January 16, 2024. The victim told police she was walking her dog when she noticed Dawber behind her. Dawber caught up to the victim and grabbed her by the wrist, then dragged her about 300 yards through a field, a thicket of trees, and then behind a barn that was secluded from the neighborhood before releasing her and walking away. The jury returned a guilty verdict after about an hour of a half of deliberation. A judge will sentence Dawber in May. Dawber is held in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail.
JOSHUA DAWBER