GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kent County circuit court judge has dismissed a case against a man who was accused of engaging in an explicit conversation with a minor.
The alleged incident took place in April 2020 in which authorities said 23-year-old Joshua Hocquard reportedly asked an 11-year-old East Grand Rapids girl if she wanted to view his genitals.
Springstead, Bartish, Borgula & Lynch (SBBL Law) says Hocquard was identified on a lone surveillance photo.
We’re told Hocquard was charged with accosting an underaged individual for unethical reasons, an accusation he has since denied.
Hocquard and his defense attorney motioned to have the case dismissed on Monday, July 11, which was granted that same day, according to SBBL Law.
“While we wish the decision had come sooner, we are relieved and grateful that Josh can finally move past this,” says Attorney Heath Lynch. “He maintained his innocence from the beginning and never wavered.”
Lynch explains there were significant flaws in the identification process that led to Hocquard as the suspect, describing investigations as “hasty” and “reactive.”
