New England Newspapers

BENNINGTON -- A North Adams, Mass., man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Bennington District Court to three felony counts of attempting to lure a child.

An arrest warrant for Joseph R. Rhoades Jr. had been issued in September because, according to an affidavit by Bennington Police Officer Anthony Silvestro, Rhoades failed to meet with police after speaking to them over the telephone.

Public Defender Frederick Bragdon, who represents Rhoades, said his client turned himself over to police custody on Nov. 4. According to court documents, Rhoades’ bail was set at $10,000.

According to the affidavit, on Sept. 15, Silvestro met with a woman who said that her 13-year-old daughter had complained of a man she knew wanted to have sex with her.

Silvestro said the girl described three separate incidents involving Rhoades, the first of which she said occurred at Knapps Underground, a teen nightspot on Main Street in Bennington, on Aug. 7.

She said she went there with Joseph Rhoades and Lisa Rhoades, whom Bragdon described as Joseph Rhoades’ estranged wife.

According to the affidavit, the girl said that while at Knapps Underground, Joseph Rhoades approached her and said that she was "hot and sexy."

The girl told police that she stepped outside with Rhoades to use his cell phone to call a friend about the bands that were playing, and it was then that Rhoades asked her if she wanted to kiss him.

According

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to the affidavit, the girl told him no because she was 13 and he was 23. She said that he asked a second time and she again said no.

According to the affidavit, the girl said that they went back inside Knapps Underground, and that she was sitting on a couch with a CD in her lap. She said Rhoades took the CD, but touched her thigh as he did so.

The girl described another incident to police she said occurred on Aug. 16. She said that she and Joseph Rhoades were in a pool trying to dunk one another, and when she held on to the edge to avoid being dunked, he grabbed her upper thigh.

According to the affidavit, the girl said that a final incident occurred at the end of August before school started. She said that Rhoades was staying at her home and came into her bedroom around midnight and talked to her about school. She said that he asked her to come over to the area where he was sleeping. She said that Rhoades asked her if she was a virgin and if she wanted him to be the first person she had sex with.

Silvestro said that he spoke with Rhoades on Sept. 16 and that Rhoades said he was living in North Adams and would need one week to arrange for travel to Bennington.

Silvestro told Rhoades to call him back the next day with a date they could meet. Silvestro said that he had to call Rhoades, and it was during that conversation that Rhoades agreed to meet police on Sept. 20.

When Rhoades didn’t show up, Silvestro said he made contact with him again after learning that Rhoades had contacted the station.

Silvestro said that he told Rhoades if he wasn’t at the police station in Bennington by Sept. 23, an arrest warrant would be issued. Silvestro said that Rhoades became verbally abusive and the call was disconnected.