Seward Man Arrest on Charges of Forcible Touching

SEWARD - On April 11, State Police arrested Joseph Hemmes, 39, of Seward, for on charges of Forcible Touching and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

On March 11, State Police received information eluding to a past sexual assault of a child. The investigation determined Mr. Hemmes allegedly forcibly and inappropriately touched a child under the age of 16 in the summer of 2024 at a residence in Seward. Further investigation discovered he is a level 2 registered sexual offender due to a previous sexual assault conviction against children, police said.

Mr. Hemmes was arrested and processed at SP Cobleskill. He was then transported to Schoharie County Correctional Facility to be held pending arraignment in the Schoharie County Centralized Part Court, police said.