Blackwood Man Charged with Attacking Woman on Ben Franklin Bridge

A felon from Blackwood attacked two women in daylight hours on the Ben Franklin Bridge, authorities said.  

Joseph Haskins, 47, was charged Wednesday with sexual assault. 

About 4:30 p.m. Monday, Haskins attacked a woman who was jogging on the bridge's walkway and sexually assaulted her, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.  

Haskins was arrested after authorities received reports of a man groping a woman on the bridge walkway about 7 a.m. Wednesday. The woman kept moving and was not further assaulted, said Jason Laughlin, the prosecutor's spokesman. The woman has not been identified, but fellow pedestrians on the bridge reported the incident. Delaware River Port Authority police officers found Haskins on the walkway and arrested him.

Afterward, the victim in Monday's incident identified Haskins as her attacker, Laughlin said. Haskins has not been charged in the second incident because a victim has not come forward. 

Haskins was held in the Camden County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.

He served three years in state prison on charges of aggravated assault and criminal sexual contact, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections' website. He was released in January 2010.

Anyone with information about similar incidents involving Haskins is asked to call Investigator Carlos Plaza of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-225-8400.