Man jailed after allegedly sexually assaulting girlfriend’s juvenile sister

Contributed Photo: Joshua Tucker was booked into the Greenlee County Jail and later charged with two counts of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual conduct with a minor, and assault.

Mother of victim given a citation for assault

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

CLIFTON – A Greenlee County man is accused of taking advantage of a living situation to sexually assault his girlfriend’s sister, who is under the age of 15. 

Joshua Allen Tucker, 35, was booked into the Greenlee County Jail on Dec. 6 and was later charged with two counts of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual conduct with a minor, and assault. 

Authorities first got wind of the alleged sexual assault Dec. 2, when Tucker himself was assaulted by the victim’s mother, who “socked” him after learning about the allegation from her daughter, which had come out after a therapy session. The mother was given a citation for assault and released at the scene. 

Contributed Photo: Joshua Allen Tucker

On Dec. 4, the victim was given a forensic interview at the Cochise Family Advocacy Center and said she had been assaulted twice by Tucker, once in December 2018 when he allegedly inappropriately touched her and again in July while he was living at the same residence. During the July incident, the victim said she had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and afterward Tucker had cornered her and sexually assaulted her. 

On Dec. 6, Tucker was arrested and questioned about the allegations, which he vehemently denied. However, on Dec. 17, his attorney, Dennis McCarthy, waived a preliminary hearing that serves as a hearing where a lower court judge determines if there is enough evidence to move the proceedings to the higher court and the matter was bound over to Greenlee County Superior Court. 

Tucker is being held on a $25,000 cash bond while being adjudicated.